Everything you need to know about Ukraine's Operation Spider's Web

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In what analysts are calling a watershed moment in the evolution of drone warfare, Ukraine executed Operation Spider's Web on June 1, 2025, a coordinated, long-range drone strike deep within Russian territory that targeted five strategic air bases across the Russian Federation. According to Kyiv, over 40 aircraft were damaged or destroyed in what has now become the most extensive aerial strike conducted by Ukraine inside Russia since the full-scale war began in 2022.

This operation, carried out by Ukraine's Security Service (SBU), leveraged 117 first-person view (FPV) drones, launched not from Ukrainian territory, but from mobile units concealed within Russian territory itself, representing a dramatic shift in operational capabilities and intelligence reach.

Planning and execution: 18 months in the making

The scale of the operation is no accident. According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, it took 18 months and 9 days to plan, develop, and execute Operation Spider's Web. Head of the SBU, Vasyl Malyuk, oversaw the mission, which required transporting the drones covertly into Russia, disguising them in wooden containers mounted on trucks. These containers could be activated remotely, opening to release the drones toward their targets once in position.

Crucially, Ukraine claims that its agents were extracted from Russia prior to the attack, ensuring operational secrecy and the safety of its personnel. The entire mission was conducted without prior notification to the United States or other allies, a move interpreted by some analysts as Ukraine asserting its own strategic independence.

Targets across five time zones

The Ukrainian drones struck five air bases across an immense swath of Russian territory: Dyagilevo, Ivanovo Severny, Belaya, Olenya, and Ukrainka. These bases are home to some of the Russian Air Force's most critical long-range aviation assets, including Tu-95MS, Tu-160, and Tu-22M3 strategic bombers, as well as A-50 airborne early warning aircraft.

Olenya Air Base in Murmansk Oblast, located in the far northwest near the Arctic Circle, witnessed multiple explosions. According to satellite intelligence and open-source footage, at least 10 blasts were reported. The drones were launched from a truck positioned near a gas station. Tu-95MS and Tu-160 bombers, some with potential nuclear capability, were based at the site.

Belaya Air Base, near Irkutsk in Siberia, marked the first Ukrainian drone strike ever recorded in Eastern Siberia, a staggering 4,300 km from the Ukrainian border. Governor Igor Kobzev confirmed the attack, and videos circulated showing smoke plumes rising from the base. Prior to the attack, satellite imagery indicated over 90 military aircraft at the site, including bombers and MiG-31 fighters.

Dyagilevo Air Base in Ryazan experienced seven explosions, with local authorities confirming damage to a civilian building from drone debris. This base had previously been the target of Ukrainian attacks in late 2022 and again in 2023.

Ivanovo Severny Air Base, northeast of Moscow, was reportedly targeted again after a strike just a week earlier on May 23. While official Russian channels remained silent, Ukrainian sources suggest that a highly prized A-50 aircraft was hit in this raid.

Ukrainka Air Base in Amur Oblast, close to the Chinese border, was supposed to be the easternmost target. However, the truck carrying the drones exploded prematurely, failing to launch the strike.

Strategic damage and political shockwaves

Ukraine's government claims the attack destroyed or disabled approximately one-third of Russia's strategic cruise missile launch capability, causing an estimated $7 billion in damage. These figures, while difficult to verify independently, are supported by several OSINT (open-source intelligence) groups and satellite analysts, who have observed clear signs of aircraft destruction and secondary fires.

Perhaps most significantly, the aircraft targeted, Tu-95, Tu-160, and A-50 models, are aging and no longer produced in large numbers. Replacement would require either expensive modernization programs or the cannibalization of other military hardware, further straining Russia's military-industrial complex.

On a strategic level, analysts from the Institute for the Study of War suggest that the attack will temporarily constrain Russia's capacity to launch long-range missile strikes into Ukraine, giving Kyiv a window of relative operational calm.

Moscow's response: "Terrorist attack"

Russia's Ministry of Defense denounced the strike as a "terrorist attack" and confirmed aircraft damage at two airbases, Belaya and Olenya. In typical fashion, official Kremlin statements downplayed the scale of the losses, though authorities did declare states of emergency in multiple regions and tightened security at additional military sites.

The Russian government also reported it had detained or questioned truck drivers allegedly involved in facilitating the attacks. However, according to Ukrainian officials, all operatives were extracted in advance.

President Zelensky added that the operation had been partially coordinated from a building adjacent to an FSB office, a symbolic humiliation for Russia's internal security service. He also emphasized that "no civilians were harmed" during the strikes.

The dawn of a new tactical era?

Beyond the immediate destruction, Operation Spider's Web has sparked global military interest in how such a high-level, deep-penetration drone assault was carried out with relative impunity. The key lies in Ukraine's use of mobile launch platforms, remote activation, and decentralized planning, which may redefine how future asymmetric warfare is conducted.

If anything, the operation showcases Ukraine's growing ability to conduct intelligence-driven strikes within the heart of enemy territory without reliance on Western hardware or authorization. It also signals to Moscow that even Russia's most remote and heavily fortified military infrastructure is now within reach.

The full implications of Operation Spider's Web remain to be seen. Ukraine's success could push Russia to reallocate air defense resources deeper into its territory, weakening frontline protection. It may also inspire copycat operations by other states or non-state actors, now acutely aware of the potential for cost-effective, unmanned strikes launched from within the target's own borders.