Ukraine launches Operation Spider Web drone strikes on deep Russian airfields

In June 2025, Ukraine launched a major coordinated drone strike deep inside Russian territory known as Operation Spiderweb, which targeted multiple Russian military airfields and strategic aircraft far behind the front lines. The operation, carried out on 1 June 2025 by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), involved specially smuggled first‑person‑view (FPV) drones that were concealed in modified transport containers on trucks and remotely launched close to airbases housing Russia’s long‑range bombers and airborne early warning aircraft. The strikes hit at least four major airbases — including Belaya (Irkutsk Oblast), Dyagilevo (Ryazan Oblast), Ivanovo Severny (Ivanovo Oblast) and Olenya (Murmansk Oblast) — and damaged or destroyed a significant number of Russian aircraft, such as Tu‑95 and Tu‑22M3 strategic bombers and A‑50 early warning planes. Ukrainian officials reported that around 41 aircraft were struck, representing a substantial portion of Russia’s strategic aviation fleet and causing an estimated $7 billion in damage. Operation Spiderweb was unprecedented in its planning and execution, involving over 18 months of preparation and coordination under the direct oversight of Ukrainian leadership. It represented a significant escalation in Ukraine’s use of long‑range unmanned aerial systems to strike high‑value military targets deep inside Russia, demonstrating evolving tactics and the increasing role of drone warfare in the conflict.