How Ukraine carried out daring ‘Spider Web’ attack on Russian bombers

It was an astonishing – unprecedented, wide and 18 month attack of ingenuity.

On June 1, more than 100 Ukrainian drones hit air bases deeply inside Russia, targeting long nuclear bombers.

The scale of the operation nicknamed “Spider Web” has become clear almost as soon as it has started, with explosions reported in several time zones throughout Russia – as far north as Murmansk above the Arctic Circle, and also in the East as the region of Amur, more than 8,000 km from Ukraine.

The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that the attacks had occurred in five regions of Russia – Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan and Amur – but said that the planes had only been damaged in Murmansk and Irkutsk, while in other places, the attacks had been pushed.

In the photos published shortly after the attack, Vasyl Maliuk, the head of the Ukraine Security Service (SBU), can be seen by looking at a satellite card of aerodromes in which the bases of the locations listed by Russia are clearly identifiable.

Maliuk said the drones had been introduced as a smuggling in Russia inside the wooden cabins mounted at the back of the trucks and hidden below remote detachable roofs.

The trucks were then apparently taken to places near the bases of drivers who were not aware of their cargo; Then the drones were launched and fixed on their targets.

Videos circulating online show drones emerging from the roof of one of the vehicles involved. A truck driver interviewed by the outlet for the Russian state Ria Novosti said that he and other drivers had tried to drop drones out of a truck with rocks.

“They were at the back of the truck and we threw stones to prevent them from flying, to keep them pinned,” he said.

According to non -verified reports by Russian Telegram Channel Baza – which is known for its links with the security services – the truck engines from which drones have all removed similar reservation stories by businessmen to deliver wooden cabins in various places around Russia.

Some of them said they had then received other instructions by phone on the place where the trucks park; When they did it, they were amazed to see drones getting out.

In a triumphant article shared on social networks on Sunday evening, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky – who directly supervised the operation – said that 117 drones had been used in the daring attack which took “a year, six months and nine days” to prepare.

He also said that one of the targeted locations was right next to one of the Russian security services offices FSB.

Russia said it had detained people in the attack, although Zelensky said that people who had helped to facilitate the operation “have been withdrawn from Russian territory … they are now safe.”

In a telegram post now deleted, local authorities in the city of UST-Kut in the Irkutsk region said they were looking for a 37-year-old man of Ukrainian origin in connection with the drone attack against the Belaya military aerodrome.

Images shared by the SBU show of dozens of small black drones carefully hidden in wooden cabins inside a warehouse, which Russian military bloggers have identified in a place in Chelyabinsk.

Dr. Steve Wright, an expert in drones based in the United Kingdom, told BBC that drones used to hit Russian planes were simple quadcopters with relatively heavy loads.

He added that what made this attack “quite extraordinary” was the ability to bring them into the introduction to Russia, then launch them and order them remotely – what he concluded had been achieved via a link relayed via a satellite or the Internet. Zelensky said each of the 117 drones launched had their own pilot.

Dr. Wright also suggested that it was likely that drones were able to fly in the use of GPS, but may also have overcome localized Russian jamming measures by manually piloting drones remotely.

Kyiv has not shared details on the origin of drones, but since the start of the war, Ukraine has become extremely effective in making them – and it is possible that those used in this operation were produced at home.

“Russia has undergone very tangible losses, and rightly so,” Zelensky said in his night video address.

According to Ukraine, 41 strategic bombers were affected and “at least” 13 destroyed. Moscow did not confirm any loss of plane beyond saying that some planes had been damaged.

Videos checked by the BBC show damaged aircraft at Olenegorsk air base in Murmansk and Belaya air base in Irkutsk.

It is believed that the strategic bombers who wear targeted missiles in the attack are-among others-the TU-95, TU-22 and TU-160. Repairing them will be difficult and, because none is yet in production, it is impossible to replace them.

Satellite imagery shared by Capella Space reveals at least four long -range Russian bombers seriously damaged or destroyed at Belaya air base. This corresponds to images of Ukrainian drones also showing an attack on a Tu-95 bomber.

“According to the laws and customs of war, we have developed absolutely legitimate targets – military aerodromes and planes that bomb our peaceful cities,” said SBU Vasyl Malyuk chief.

TU-95 bombers would have launched a large-scale KH-101 missile attack against Ukraine last week. Each bomber can transport eight guided cruise missiles and each missile itself carries a 400 kg (882 lb) warhead.

A-50 military spy planes would also have been targeted. These are precious planes that strengthen Russia’s ability to intercept Ukrainian missiles and launch its own strikes.

We do not know how many A -50S of Russia – but in February 2024, the military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov put this number at eight, so any loss or damage could be a serious blow for Moscow.

In an article on social networks, the SBU said that the Spider Web operation cost Russia $ 7 billion (5.2 billion pounds Sterling).

The Russian state media remained carefully silent on attacks, with Sunday television shows in prime time by citing declarations by regional authorities. Monday morning, the story had disappeared from the bulletins.

On the Internet and beyond Ukrainians celebrated, with one of educating the operation as “Titanic”.

“Of course, everything cannot be revealed at the moment,” wrote Zelensky on Telegram, “but they are Ukrainian actions that will undoubtedly be in history books.”

Additional Kumar Malhotra, Tom Spencer, Richard Irvine-Brown, Paul Brown and Benedict Garman