Ukraine’s military executed a significant drone assault on Russian airbases, with state media reporting that over 40 strategic bomber jets were hit across multiple regions, including Siberia’s Irkutsk, over 4,000 kilometers from the Ukraine-Russia border, according to Ukraine’s Ukrinform news agency.
The operation, dubbed "Spider Web" by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), targeted Russian bombers used in attacks on Ukrainian cities. Sources cited by Ukrinform claimed the strikes hit four airfields—Olenya, Ivanovo, Dyagilevo, and Belaya—in a meticulously planned operation that took over 18 months to prepare. The SBU reportedly transported drones to Russia, concealing them in mobile wooden houses that were remotely opened for the attack.
A Ukrainian official told Axios that Kyiv did not notify the U.S. administration, led by President Trump, about the operation beforehand.
Russia’s Response
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed attacks on three airbases in Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur were repelled, but acknowledged that some aircraft at airfields in Murmansk and Irkutsk caught fire due to FPV drones launched nearby. The fires were extinguished, and no personnel were injured, according to the ministry. Several individuals linked to the attacks were detained.
Regional governors confirmed drone strikes in their areas. Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev reported a military unit in Sredny was targeted, identifying a truck as the drone launch source, which was neutralized. Murmansk Governor Andrey Chibis and Ryazan Governor Pavel Malkov also confirmed attacks, though Chibis dismissed reports of explosions in Severomorsk, home to Russia’s Northern Fleet naval base, as “fake.”
The SBU has not officially commented on the operation.
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