Operation Spiderweb: Ukraine’s destruction of Russian aircrafts

 Smuggled Ukrainian drones struck dozens of bombers at airfields across Russia over the weekend. “The spectacular operation, known as Spiderweb, was prepared in secret over 18 months. Ukraine’s agents moved short-range drones and explosives inside Russia before they were launched remotely for a coordinated strike on Sunday that was intended to strike at Moscow’s air superiority,” reported The Guardian, whose “Operation Spiderweb: a visual guide to Ukraine’s destruction of Russian aircraft” offers video, maps, photos, and diagrams.

https://uploads.guim.co.uk/2025/06/02/Spiderweb_loop_2_.mp4

The operation’s 117 drones hit more than one-third of “the strategic cruise missile carriers stationed at airbases,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told press.

 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/02/operation-spiderweb-visual-guide-ukraine-drone-attack-russian-aircraft?oref=d_brief_nl&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The%20D%20Brief:%20June%202%2C%202025&utm_term=newsletter_d1_dbrief#img-1

 

Capital Alpha’s Byron Callan: “The creativity of the Ukrainian strike should get countries thinking much harder about sheltering combat aircraft and defense against short-range UAS – that will cost money. It’s not a good idea to park aircraft out in the open where they can be easily destroyed. We don’t know how this could shape thinking about 1) investment in air defense; 2) investment in strategic bombers, tankers, and other special mission aircraft; and 3) construction to harden bases.”  

https://uploads.guim.co.uk/2025/06/02/Ukraine_looops.mp4