Ukraine Launches Longest-Range Drone Strike on Russian Airbases in “Spider’s Web” Operation
The coordinated strikes targeted 41 Russian aircraft, including Tu-95 and Tu-22 strategic bombers, as well as the A-50 radar detection and command aircraft — causing damage amounting to $7 billion and destroying 34% of Russia’s cruise missile-capable strategic bombers.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Ukrainian security services carried out their longest-range drone attack to date on Sunday, striking deep into Russian territory and damaging military airbases located thousands of kilometers from the front line, according to AFP.
The complex operation, codenamed “Spider’s Web,” involved the covert smuggling of drones into Russia and marked what President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed as a “brilliant” success and Ukraine’s “longest-range operation” in over three years of war.
A source within Ukraine’s SBU security service told AFP that the coordinated strikes targeted 41 Russian aircraft, including Tu-95 and Tu-22 strategic bombers, as well as the A-50 radar detection and command aircraft — all allegedly used in bombing Ukrainian cities. The attacks reportedly caused damage amounting to $7 billion and destroyed 34% of Russia’s cruise missile-capable strategic bombers.
Russia’s Defence Ministry confirmed that drone attacks had hit airbases in the Murmansk and Irkutsk regions — areas situated in the Russian Arctic and eastern Siberia — where “several aircraft caught fire.” While the fires were contained and no casualties reported, Russian authorities stated that several suspects had been arrested. The ministry noted that the drones were launched from “the immediate vicinity of the airbases” and not from Ukrainian territory.
The operation came on the eve of renewed peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow in Istanbul — the second round of direct negotiations since the early weeks of Russia’s invasion in February 2022. Ukrainian officials said the symbolic and strategic blow to Russian air power would bolster their position at the table.
The SBU revealed that the plan had been in preparation for over 18 months and involved intricate logistics. Drones were smuggled into Russia hidden inside wooden structures built onto trucks. These structures featured remotely controlled roofs that opened to launch the drones toward their targets. Images released by the SBU show small black drones concealed in transport containers.
Ukraine deployed 117 drones in total, hitting two airbases — Olenya and Belaya — situated approximately 1,900 km and 4,300 km from Ukraine, respectively. The scale and reach of the attack surpassed all previous Ukrainian drone operations, which had largely targeted areas closer to the front.
The Russian Defence Ministry also claimed its air defense systems intercepted 162 Ukrainian drones overnight between 1710 GMT and 2300 GMT on Sunday, just hours before the Istanbul talks. Most of the drones were reportedly downed over the Kursk and Belgorod regions near Ukraine’s border.
While the full extent of the damage to Russia’s military remains unclear, the symbolic impact is significant. Ukrainian forces have recently faced setbacks on the battlefield and increasing pressure from relentless Russian aerial assaults that have stretched the country’s air defense systems.
Russian military bloggers acknowledged the blow, with some describing it as a “black day for aviation.” The influential pro-military Telegram channel Rybar called the operation a “very heavy blow” and criticized Russian intelligence for “serious errors.”
Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, now an opposition figure, praised the timing of the operation, stating, “There are no better arguments” for Ukraine as it heads into negotiations with Moscow.
