Ukraine recently launched a major drone attack deep inside Russia, called Operation Spider Web. The attack targeted air bases in Belaya, Olenya, and Ivanovo, destroying more than one-third of Russia’s long-range bombers. These bases are far from the war frontlines.

Surprisingly, the drones used in the attack were powered by ArduPilot-a free, open-source software made nearly 20 years ago for hobby drones. According to a report by 404 Media, ArduPilot was first created in 2007 by Chris Anderson, the former editor of WIRED magazine. He built the first version using a Lego Mindstorms kit.

Anderson later teamed up with Jordi Munoz and Jason Short to improve the software. Over time, it grew into a large community project used around the world for flying drones.After hearing about the attack, Anderson posted on LinkedIn: “That’s ArduPilot, launched from my basement 18 years ago. Crazy. Not in a million years would I have predicted this outcome. I just wanted to make flying robots.”

ArduPilot was first made in 2007 by hobbyists to fly toy drones using Lego and simple tools. Over time, it became powerful enough to control not just drones but also boats, submarines, and ground vehicles. It helps drones take off, land, follow GPS paths, and stay stable in the air. While it was created for peaceful work like farming and rescue operations, anyone can use or change it since it’s open-source-even for war.

Videos online show drones using ArduPilot during the Ukraine attack. Reports say Ukraine’s security team hid drones in trucks and buildings inside Russia. These drones were launched remotely and carried explosives.

Instead of using satellite networks like Starlink (which can be jammed), the drones used small computers and connected through Russia’s mobile network. ArduPilot helped them stay in the air even with weak signals. President Zelensky said 117 drones were used and all the helpers from inside Russia were safely moved out before the attack.