The chief military uniformed officer of the Air Force described the drone strikes by Ukraine on Russian air bases over the weekend as a critical alert for worldwide militaries to bolster both their offense and defense strategies.

“It turns out that what we thought were secure locations might not be so secure after all,” Gen. David Allvin, the Air Force Chief of Staff, remarked at a conference held by the Center for a New American Security in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday. “It’s a reality we need to be more aware of.”

“We must examine how this integrates into our national defense strategy, not only to protect our own soil but to also ensure we pose significant challenges to our enemies,” he added.

Over 100 drones were used in the Ukrainian operation targeting several Russian airfields on June 1, which were clandestinely transported across the border and deployed in a synchronized manner from great distances.

According to Ukrainian intelligence, the assaults inflicted over $7 billion in damages to the Russian armed forces and disabled more than a third of Russia’s strategic cruise missile fleet. These figures have yet to be confirmed by Russian authorities.

Gen. Allvin described the reported damages as ‘startling,’ prompting a reevaluation among his team and other military strategists.

“Enhancing the resilience of our bases has always been a priority,” he noted. “We have allocated funds to achieve this, but it appears we still have a long way to go.”

Gen. Allvin expressed hope that President Donald Trump’s proposed $175 billion Golden Dome missile defense initiative might be adapted to counter similar drone attacks in the future within the U.S. He anticipated accelerated discussions on enhancing these capabilities in light of the Ukrainian attacks.

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“Ultimately, it’s about balancing our resources to address all our priorities,” he stated. “Merely defending without the ability to retaliate is not an efficient strategy. This incident will likely reignite those conversations.”

This week, U.S. mediators are involved in peace negotiations between the conflicting nations, exploring possibilities for a ceasefire or a resolution to the conflict that has lasted for a decade.