Ukraine carried out a bold and innovative military operation named Operation Spider’s Web on June 1, 2025, which targeted Russian air bases deep inside Russia’s territory. This strike employed explosive-laden drones cleverly hidden inside the roofs of wooden sheds, which were transported on trucks to the perimeter of the airfields. Once in position, the roofs were remotely lifted, allowing the drones to fly out and launch their assault on Russian warplanes.

The Ukrainian domestic security agency, the SBU, confirmed the operation and revealed that it inflicted heavy damage, hitting 41 Russian strategic bomber aircraft across four air bases. The SBU estimated the destruction at around $7 billion and reported that 34% of Russia’s strategic cruise missile carriers at its main airfields were disabled by the strike.

Unprecedented Reach and Planning

This drone strike was notable for its unprecedented long range — the Irkutsk air base in Siberia, a key target, lies more than 4,300 kilometres from the Ukrainian front lines. The distance far exceeded the range of Ukraine’s usual long-range strike drones or ballistic missiles, necessitating the inventive tactic of transporting the drones close to the targets using concealed sheds.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed the operation as Ukraine’s longest-range strike and praised the “absolutely brilliant outcome,” highlighting that the mission took over 18 months of meticulous planning. He revealed that 117 drones were involved in the attacks and called the Russian losses “very tangible, and justifiably so.”

Tactical Details and Local Impact

According to security officials, the SBU set up a nerve centre for the operation near a Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) regional office. All operatives involved had been extracted from Russian territory just before the operation commenced.

Unverified footage circulating on Russian social media showed strategic bombers ablaze at the Belaya air base in the Irkutsk region, where drones launched from trucks reportedly carried out the attacks. The air base houses Tupolev Tu-22M supersonic long-range strategic bombers, which Russia has used to launch missile attacks against Ukraine.

Strategic Significance

The operation represents the most damaging drone attack carried out by Ukraine during the ongoing conflict. It dealt a significant blow to Russia’s strategic bomber fleet, including planes such as the Tu-95 and Tu-22M models, which are critical for long-range missile strikes.

The innovative use of concealed drones to breach deep Russian air bases underscores Ukraine’s evolving capabilities and adaptability in asymmetrical warfare. The successful strikes put additional pressure on Moscow, showing Ukraine’s capacity to strike far beyond front-line zones and target high-value military assets.

This latest development in the Ukraine-Russia conflict demonstrates the increasing role of drone warfare and intelligence-led operations, as well as the ongoing strategic contest between the two nations. The full implications for Russia’s air capabilities and the broader conflict remain to be seen, but Operation Spider’s Web marks a notable escalation in Ukraine’s offensive operations

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