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Ukrainian intelligence has today carried out one of the most audacious attacks seen since World War II.
This attack, codenamed Operation Pavutyna (Spider Web), was carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) against bomber bases in several locations across Russia. According to the Strategic Communications and Information Security Center of Ukraine (STRATCOM), one of the airfields attacked is the Belaya Air Base, in Irkutsk Oblast, Siberia, 4,900 km from Ukraine. An unprecedented distance in Ukrainian counterattacks since the start of the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
The Ukrainian daily Kyiv Independent reported that other bases attacked include Olenya (in Murmansk Oblast, 1,800 km from Ukraine), Diaghilev (about 450 km from Ukraine), and Ivanovo (in the Russian oblast of the same name, more than 680 km from Ukraine and 245 km northeast of Moscow). According to Kyiv Insider, a fifth base, Voskresensk in the Moscow region, 457 km (287 miles) from Ukraine, was also attacked. Kyiv Insider published this photo of the Belaya Air Base with several plumes of smoke rising from its runways.
The Kyiv Independent reports that 41 Russian aircraft were reportedly hit, including Tu-95 and Tu-22M strategic bombers and Beriev A-50 aircraft, a very expensive model dedicated to airborne air control and early warning missions. Kyiv Insider notes that according to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the operation was personally supervised by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and carried out by SBU chief Vasyl Maliuk, along with the intelligence agency's team. The outlet publishes this photo of Maliuk reviewing a map of the five bases attacked and two photos, one of a Tu-95 bomber (left) and another of a Tu-22M.
The Kyiv Independent reports that the operation was planned for a year and a half and that the attacks were carried out using fiber-optic guided FPV drones transported on trucks inside Russia. The drones were allegedly smuggled into Russia by the SBU and eventually transported to the vicinity of the attacked bases, at a distance where Russian air defenses were unable to counter the threat. STRATCOM has published these three photos of the logistical process of the operation, in which we see the drones used in the attacks and the containers that transported them:
The Ukrainian OSINT account Special Kherson Cat has released these images of the attack on the Belaya Air Base, in which we see two Ukrainian drones exiting the truck that was transporting them. Once the attack was over, the truck self-destructed:
🚛💥This is how the attack on the Russian military airfield in Belaya, Irkutsk region, 4400 km from the front, took place.
One after another, FPV drones flew out from a cargo truck parked not far from the airbase. After the end of the mission, as reported by local Russian… https://t.co/JcHfeRHOOC pic.twitter.com/YY0GquV6pr
— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) June 1, 2025
Kyiv Insider has published this video in which we see a Ukrainian drone attacking a Tu-95 bomber at the Belaya Air Base. The drone hovers over the aircraft before descending and exploding:
Almost 5000km from Ukraine, a Ukrainian drone operator takes his time in choosing the perfect point of impact to destroy this Tu-95 strategic bomber that regularly rains missiles on the cities of Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/CqDcHqY35I
— Kyiv Insider (@KyivInsider) June 1, 2025
Special Kherson Cat has released this video in which we see a Tu-95 on fire and another exploding. The bombers had tires on their wings, an improvised Russian defense against drone attacks that has served no purpose:
🛞 🤔 The main question remains: do the tires work? pic.twitter.com/5rdWHKzwbv
— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) June 1, 2025
In this video released by STRATCOM we can see the result of this attack, in which we clearly see three Tu-95 bombers and an Antonov An-12 transport aircraft on fire:
If you ever wanted to see Russia's irreplaceable strategic number fleet destroyed, we got you covered. pic.twitter.com/lrOJ9p6zVp
— SPRAVDI — Stratcom Centre (@StratcomCentre) June 1, 2025
According to War Intel, 5 Tu-95 bombers, 2 Tu-22M bombers, and one An-12 transport aircraft have been visually confirmed destroyed. It should be noted that prior to this attack, Russia launched a massive airstrike last night with 472 drones, 3 Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles, and 4 Kh-101 and Iskander-K cruise missiles. Of these, 382 drones and 3 cruise missiles were shot down. The Ukrainian counterattack on the bomber bases has been one of the biggest blows suffered by the Russian Air Force in this war, an operation that demonstrates how vulnerable Russian forces are on their own territory.
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Main photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
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