Drone attack “Spider Web”: Ukraine strikes more than 40 Russian aircraft

A drone attack that makes history: with an unprecedented strike, Ukraine hit Russia at the heart of its air force on 1 June. Several air bases were targeted simultaneously in the massive attack. For the Russian Aerospace Forces and strategic aviation, this day goes down as the blackest in their history.

The total extent of the damage cannot yet be assessed. What is certain, however, is that Russia’s strategic aviation – long-range bombers as well as associated aircraft such as tankers and airborne early warning systems – has irretrievably lost very substantial parts of its capabilities.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) apparently attacked more than 40 aircraft at their home bases deep in the Russian hinterland as part of a large-scale special operation. Many of them were destroyed or at least seriously damaged. Only satellite images in the coming days will allow a more precise assessment of the extent. “Spider Web” is the name of this unique special operation.

Videos published by the Russian side show first-person view (FPV) drones rising from lorries that had been parked near the airfields. Houses near the airfields are also said to have been prepared for this purpose. Ukraine, for its part, presented footage of these drones destroying the parked aircraft on the airfields.

Targets of the drone attack: these airfields in Russia

• Belaya near Irkutsk (52°54’54.0″N 103°34’30.0″E) – 4,800 km from Kyiv
• Olyena Air Base south of Murmansk (68°09’06.0″N 33°27’50.0″E) – 2,000 km from Kyiv
• Ivanovo Severny air base (57°03′30″N 40°58′54″E), 250 km north-east of Moscow – 1,000 km from Kyiv
• Dyagilevo air base (54°38′30″N 39°34′18″E), 170 km south-east of Moscow – 800 km from Kyiv
• plus a site near Murmansk not yet specified and one in the Moscow area

Heavy loss for the Russian air force

The Tu-95 and the Tu-22M3 are named as the types hit. According to public sources, Russia most recently had 47 Tu-95s, production of which ended 32 years ago. Of the supersonic Tu-22M3 medium-range bomber, there are said to have been 57 aircraft; production ended 28 years ago. Destroyed A-50s are also reported, of which there are at best a dozen. Russia cannot replace them either because of sanctions, especially as the successor project A-100 had to be cancelled – Russia cannot obtain the necessary technologies.

The SBU was thus clearly aiming to destroy precisely those Russian military capabilities with which Ukraine has been attacked with long-range guided missiles since the war began in February 2022. The preparation of “Spider Web” is said to have taken one year, six months and nine days. According to current figures, 117 drones were used.

The security policy and military-strategic consequences of the attack also remain open. Experts have been warning for years that such attacks are feasible.

From today’s perspective, most military facilities and virtually all civilian critical infrastructure are completely unprotected against such attacks – not only in this country, but all over the world.