Laura Gozzi & BBC Verify
BBC News
Ukrainian President Press Service/EPA-EFE/SHUTTERSTOCK
Ukrainian President Voldymir Zelensky speaks with the head of Security Services (SSU) Vasir Maliuk after surgery on a Russian air base
It was an astonishing ingenuity attack.
On June 1, more than 100 Ukrainian drones struck air hubs deep in Russia, targeting long-range bombers with nuclear access.
The scale of the operation, known as the “Spider Web,” became clear as soon as it began, with explosions reported across several time zones across Russia, with Murmansk above the Arctic Circle located east of the amniotic fluid region, more than 8,000 km from Ukraine.
The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed that the attacks occurred in five regions of Russia — Murmansk, Irkuts, Ivanovo, Riazan and Amur — said that while they were only damaged in Murmansk and Irkutsk, attacks had been repeated elsewhere.
In the photo released shortly after the attack, Vasyl Maliuk, head of Ukrainian Security Services (SBU), can see satellite maps of the airfields that allow the bases at the locations listed by Russia to clearly identify them.
operation
Maliuk said the drone was smuggled into Russia inside a wooden cabin mounted at the back of the truck and hidden under a remotely operated removable roof.
The truck appears to have been driven into a location near the air base by a driver who appears to be unaware of the cargo. The drone was then launched and set to target.
The video circulating online shows a drone coming out of the roof of one of the vehicles involved. One truck driver interviewed by Russian state outlet Ria Novosti said he and the other drivers jumped out of the truck with a rock and tried to knock down the drone.
“They’re behind the truck and we keep throwing stones to prevent them from flying and securing them,” he said.
According to an unverified report by Russian Telegram Channel Baza, known for its link to security services, truck drivers with drones taking off tell a similar story that they are booked by businessmen to deliver wooden cabins in various locations around Russia.
Some of them said they received further instructions over the phone regarding where to park their trucks. When they did, they were unsure to see the drone jumping out of them.
In a victory post shared on social media on Sunday night, Ukrainian President Voldy Mirzelensky, who directly oversees the operation, said 117 drones were used in the bold attack that took “a year, six months and nine days.”
He also said one of the targeted locations was right next to one of the offices of FSB Russia’s security services.
Russia said it had detained people in connection with the attack, but Zelensky said those who helped promote the operation “retreated from Russian territory… They are now safe.”
In a currently deleted telegram post, the local government of UST-kut city in Irkutsk region said it was looking for a 37-year-old Ukrainian-born in connection with a drone attack on a Bellaya military airfield.
Drone
Images shared by the SBU show dozens of small black drones neatly hidden in wooden cabins in a warehouse where Russian military bloggers locate Chelyabinsk.
UK-based drone expert Dr. Steve Wright told the BBC that the drones used to collide with Russian aircraft were simple quadcopters carrying relatively heavy payloads.
He added that what made the attack “very extraordinary” was the ability to smuggle them into Russia and then launch them remotely and order them. Zelensky said each of the 117 drones released has its own pilot.
SBU
According to SBU, the drone was neatly hidden in a wooden cabin hidden inside the truck
Dr. Wright also suggested that the drone could have been able to fly using GPS, but it is possible that by hand the drone remotely managed it, it has overcome Russian anti-jamming countermeasures.
Kiev does not share details about the origins of drones, but since the start of the war, Ukraine has become very efficient in manufacturing them. And it is possible that what was used in this business was produced at home.
target
“Russia had very specific losses and was justly the case,” Zelensky said at the nightly video address.
According to Ukraine, 41 strategic bombers were attacked, destroying “at least” 13 people. Moscow has not confirmed the loss of the aircraft, saying that some planes have been damaged.
Videos verified by the BBC show damaged aircraft at Olenegorsk Air Base in Murmansk and at Bellaya Air Base in Irkutsk.
Bombers carrying strategic missiles targeting attacks are considered to be, among others, TU-95, TU-22, and TU-160. They are difficult to repair and none are still in production, so it is impossible to replace them.
Radar satellite images shared by Capella Space reveal at least four severely damaged or destroyed Russian long-range bombers at Belaya Airbase. This coincides with Ukrainian drone footage, and also shows attacks on the TU-95 bomber.
“According to war laws and customs, we have settled a completely legitimate target — military airfields and aircraft bombing our peaceful cities,” said SBU Head Basil Malik.
The TU-95 bomber is said to have launched a massive KH-101 missile attack on Ukraine, just like last week. Each bomber can carry eight guided cruise missiles, each missile itself with a 400kg (882lb) warhead.
The A-50 military spy plane was also reportedly targeted. They are valuable aircraft that enhance Russia’s ability to intercept Ukrainian missiles and launch their own strikes.
It is unclear how many A-50Ss Russia has – but in February 2024, Military Intelligence Director Kyrylo Budanov fell to eight, with losses and damages potentially a serious blow to Moscow.
In a social media post, SBU said Spider’s web operation would cost Russia $7 billion (£5.2 billion).
Russian state media were enthusiastically quiet in the attack, and Primetime Sunday’s television programme only cites statements from local authorities. By Monday morning, the story had disappeared from the breaking news.
We celebrated it online and beyond Ukrainians.
“Of course, not everything will be revealed at this point,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram. “These are undoubtedly Ukrainian actions in history books.”
Additional reports by Kumar Malhotra, Tom Spencer, Richard Irvine-Brown, Paul Brown and Benedict Garman
