Ukraine says it destroyed over 40 military aircraft in major attack on airfields across Russia

On Sunday, Ukraine’s Security Service carried out a large-scale attack on military airfields across Russia that it claims destroyed more than 40 warplanes. The operation, which reportedly took over a year and a half to plan, is said to have used drones launched from trucks deep inside Russian territory to strike air bases far from the border — including one in Siberia. Russian pro-war military bloggers have described the losses as “a serious blow” to the country’s military aviation. Here’s what we know so far about this massive, coordinated strike on Russia’s air capabilities.

Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has carried out a large coordinated attack on Russian military airfields in several regions far from the Russian-Ukrainian border, according to Ukrainska Pravda, Babel, RBC Ukraine, and other outlets citing sources in Ukraine’s security services.

According to those sources, the operation — codenamed Pavutyna (“Spiderweb”) — is being personally overseen by SBU chief Vasyl Malyuk. The strikes reportedly hit more than 40 Russian aircraft, including A-50 early warning planes, Tu-95 strategic bombers, and Tu-22M3s. The sources estimate the damage to Russia’s military at around $2 billion.

Ukrainian media report that at least four military airfields were targeted: Dyagilevo in the Ryazan region, Olenya in the Murmansk region, Belaya in the Irkutsk region, and Ivanovo (Severny) in the Ivanovo region.

The operation was reportedly in the works for more than a year and a half, with President Volodymyr Zelensky personally overseeing its preparation, according to Ukrainian media sources. Described as logistically complex, the plan allegedly involved smuggling FPV drones into Russia, followed later by mobile wooden crates used to conceal them. These crates were then placed in trucks, with the drones remotely activated at a designated time.

Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev confirmed the drone strike, noting that it was the first such attack on Siberian territory since the start of the full-scale war. He said the target was a military facility in the settlement of Sredny and that “there is no threat to the lives or health of civilians.”

Murmansk Governor Andrey Chibis also confirmed a drone strike but did not specify the target. Ryazan Governor Pavel Malkov reported only that there had been a drone-related incident, saying the only damage was to the roof of a private home.

The Telegram channels Baza and Mash reported that the drones used in Murmansk and Irkutsk were launched from trucks parked along nearby highways. In Murmansk, the truck driver was detained; Baza reported that he was likely unaware of what was in his vehicle.

Governor Kobzev also confirmed that a drone had indeed been launched from a truck. “The source of the drone launch has already been neutralized. It was a truck. The main thing is not to panic,” he wrote on Telegram.

The Russian pro-war Telegram channel Rybar reported that several Tu-95 bombers were destroyed in the attack. “As we’ve said before, Tu-95 and Tu-22 strategic bombers have long been out of production and can’t be replaced. These losses are irrecoverable. This is, without exaggeration, a serious blow to our strategic forces — the result of major intelligence failures and a negligent attitude toward aviation equipment, which, even after repeated attacks, remained parked in open fields without any shelter,” the channel wrote.

The pro-war Telegram channel Fighterbomber, which is close to Russia’s Aerospace Forces, posted: “Today will later be remembered as a dark day for Russia’s long-range aviation. And the day isn’t even over.”

The SBU claims the operation ultimately disabled 41 Russian military aircraft. Ukrainian intelligence sources said all of the operatives involved in the mission have been in Ukraine for some time, meaning any arrests on Russian soil would be “staged.”

A new round of talks between Russia and Ukraine is scheduled for Monday, June 2, in Istanbul. The sides are expected to exchange memoranda outlining the terms each is proposing for a ceasefire.