I’m filled with admiration for Ukraine’s daring and imaginative strike this weekend at high-value targets across the length and breadth of Russia. I don’t for a moment believe that, by itself, this one strategic blow will change the outcome of the war, but if the Ukrainians can continue to find fresh ways to extend the scope of the conflict, to inflict damage deep inside Russia, and to force the Russian armed forces to defend as well as attack, then the entire conflict might well take on a new and entirely different dimension. (RELATED: Russia’s Aerial Assault on Ukraine)

It’s much too early to judge the larger impact of the Ukrainian attack on the outcome of the war, or even, more narrowly, on the currently planned Istanbul negotiations. But it’s not too early to step back and consider what it signifies in terms of an emerging “new warfare,” one capable of challenging the Russians, to be sure, but also one that will surely challenge us as well.

I’m not talking about swarms of weaponized drones, although that’s been the focus of so much of this morning’s commentary. Every day they prove their worth, and the Ukrainians have leapt to the forefront in finding tactical — and now strategic uses — for what were once dismissed as mere toys. But instead of focusing our attention on the tools, no matter how cleverly developed and deployed, we should focus on the concept of attacking critical facilities, not just military facilities, but also crippling, well-orchestrated strikes at critical civilian infrastructure.