Ukraine has released footage of the covert drone operation that it claimed destroyed or severely damaged 41 Russian warplanes across four air bases, in one of the boldest strikes since the war began. The operation, codenamed Spider’s Web, reportedly took over 18 months to prepare and was hailed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “a brilliant operation for the history books.”
The attack, carried out by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), involved launching swarms of first-person-view (FPV) drones from inside Russian territory using hidden compartments built into trucks. The drones targeted strategic bombers including Tu-95s and Tu-22M3s, used by Moscow to launch missile barrages on Ukrainian cities, as well as one of Russia’s few remaining A-50 airborne radar aircraft. Zelenskyy said the operation hit 34% of Russia’s strategic cruise missile carriers.
Drone strike reaches Siberia
The full video, released by the SBU on Wednesday, showed drones flying under and over Russian aircraft, some already ablaze. The strikes hit Belaya air base in Siberia 4,000 km from Ukraine as well as airfields in Murmansk, Ivanovo, and Ryazan. According to Ukrainian officials, the drones were launched from trucks parked near the airbases. These trucks were fitted with automated compartments and the drones remained hidden for days or weeks before the order to launch was given.CNN reported the drones were not launched from Ukrainian soil, but from areas close to the targeted airfields, confirming the unprecedented infiltration into Russian territory. Defence analysts noted that the drones used fibre-optic cables for control rather than radio frequencies, allowing them to evade Russian jamming.Russia’s defence ministry confirmed the attacks, saying they caused fires and damage to aircraft, though they insisted the blazes were contained. Pro-Russian military bloggers, however, called it a “black day for aviation,” with the Telegram channel Rybar citing a “very heavy blow” and intelligence failure.Ukraine estimates the damage at \$7 billion. The operation comes at a crucial moment in the 3½-year conflict, with peace talks floundering and Russia intensifying missile and drone barrages on Ukrainian cities. Just a day before the drone attack, Moscow launched a record 472 drones in a single day, reportedly in an attempt to exhaust Ukraine’s air defences.The morale-boosting strike followed previous audacious Ukrainian operations, including the sinking of the Moskva in 2022 and attacks on the Kerch Bridge. SBU chief Vasyl Maliuk said, “The enemy thought it could bomb Ukraine with impunity. But we will destroy them everywhere at sea, in the air, and on land. And if necessary, we’ll get them from underground too.”The United States said it was not informed of the operation in advance. President Donald Trump, who spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone after the attack, said the conversation was “positive but not one that will lead to immediate peace.” Putin reportedly told Trump that there would be a response.
