KYIV, Ukraine (Diya TV) — In a daring operation, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) launched a long-range drone strike that reportedly damaged or destroyed 41 high-value Russian military aircraft across five airbases deep inside Russian territory. The mission, codenamed “Operation Spider Web,” marks one of the most sophisticated and far-reaching strikes since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The operation, which Ukrainian sources say took over 18 months to plan, was personally overseen by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and executed under the leadership of SBU chief Vasyl Maliuk. According to exclusive reporting by Ukrainska Pravda and The Kyiv Independent, the logistics behind the attack involved covertly transporting FPV (first-person view) kamikaze drones into Russia using modified cargo trucks. The drones were hidden beneath remote-controlled, retractable wooden roofs that opened at the moment of launch, unleashing swarms of drones at strategic airbases hundreds of kilometers from Ukraine’s border.
Targets included the Olenya, Dyagilevo, Ivanovo Severny, Belaya, and Voskresensk airbases—key hubs for Russia’s strategic bomber fleet. These bases house aircraft such as the Tu-160 Blackjack and Tu-95 Bear bombers, both of which have been used in long-range missile attacks against Ukrainian infrastructure and cities. Ukrainian officials claim the strike also damaged or destroyed an A-50 airborne early warning and control aircraft, a critical asset for Russia’s battlefield intelligence and airspace management.
The Ukrainian government estimates the total damage from the operation exceeds $2 billion USD. While Russia’s Ministry of Defence has yet to release a full statement, multiple regional governors confirmed drone attacks across various oblasts. In Irkutsk Oblast, Governor Igor Kobzev acknowledged a strike near Belaya airbase and released video showing plumes of smoke rising from the site. Russian media also reported drone activity over Olenya, with air defense systems reportedly activated in response.
Following the attacks, Engels and Morozovsk airbases—both home to strategic bomber units—declared heightened states of emergency, though they were not among the confirmed strike targets. The psychological impact of the operation appears significant. Russian Telegram channels associated with military personnel and analysts described widespread confusion and panic within the air force command. Temporary flight suspensions were reported across parts of central Russia as authorities scrambled to assess the scope of the breach.
In statements made to The Kyiv Independent, sources within the SBU emphasized that all operatives involved in the attack have safely returned to Ukraine. They also suggested any arrests made by Russian authorities in connection to the strike are likely staged for internal propaganda purposes.
Military analysts say Operation Spider Web could mark a turning point in modern warfare. By using remote-operated, pre-deployed drone systems rather than conventional aircraft or missile strikes, Ukraine has demonstrated its ability to conduct high-impact operations deep behind enemy lines without escalating to full-scale aerial warfare.
“This is a shift from reactive defense to proactive disruption,” said a defense analyst interviewed by Ukrainska Pravda. “Ukraine isn’t just intercepting incoming threats—it’s dismantling the infrastructure that enables those threats in the first place.”
Russia’s strategic bomber fleet has been one of the most consistent sources of missile attacks against Ukraine since the invasion began. With Operation Spider Web, Kyiv appears to be hitting back where it hurts most—not in the skies, but at the ground bases that support and launch those aircraft.
