Watch: Ukraine drones hit over 40 Russian bombers in record airbase strike

Ukraine's largest drone strike on record damages over40 Russian bombers in massive overnight attack, dealing a $7 billion blow to Moscow's strategic bomber fleet

Ukraine inflicted a significant setback on Russia over the weekend, launching its largest-ever drone attack that targeted multiple Russian air bases. Codenamed ‘Spider’s Web’, the operation caused extensive damage to Moscow’s strategic bomber fleet, marking Ukraine’s most ambitious drone campaign to date. 

Drone footage shows several Russian bombers engulfed in flames, sending thick plumes of black smoke billowing into the sky. In videos now circulating on social media, Ukrainian drones can also be seen over the military base in Siberia. 

Possibly the most insane footage of Ukrainian drones pulling off a strike deep inside Russia today - this is what happens when you use car tyres as your primary anti drone measure pic.twitter.com/Ip4lzMbSFI

— Damien Symon (@detresfa_) June 1, 2025

  Attack followed Russian missile strike

The massive Ukrainian drone strike came in the wake of a deadly Russian missile attack and just before the scheduled second round of peace negotiations between the two countries in Istanbul. 

 

On June 1, Russia fired an Iskander-M missile at a Ukrainian military training facility in the Dnipropetrovsk region, killing 12 Ukrainian soldiers and wounding over 60 others. The strike hit the 239th Training Centre, located about 100 km from the front lines. 

In the aftermath of the missile strike, Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi, commander of Ukraine’s land forces, submitted his resignation, citing personal responsibility for the incident.     

  

Inside ‘Operation Spider's Web’

Just hours after the Russian missile attack, Ukrainian forces executed a drone assault on five Russian air bases: Belaya, Dyagilevo, Ivanovo Severny, Olenya, and Ukrainka. According to Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), 117 drones were used in the operation, successfully damaging or destroying over 40 military aircraft, including Tu-95, Tu-22M, and A-50 bombers. 

The SBU estimates the total damage to Russian aircraft at around $7 billion, amounting to approximately 34 per cent of Russia’s strategic bomber fleet. This drone strike represents Ukraine’s deepest incursion into Russian territory yet, with some targets located over 4,300 km from the front lines. 

An SBU official, speaking to Reuters, revealed that the drones were hidden inside wooden structures mounted on trucks, allowing them to be transported undetected near the airbases. Once in position, they were launched remotely, catching Russian defences by surprise. The official noted that the plan had been in development for more than a year.

 

Zelenskyy hails ‘brilliant success’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy celebrated the operation’s success in a post on X, calling it a “brilliant success” and highlighting its precision and the severe impact on Russia’s aerial capabilities. 

“Our people operated across several Russian regions—in three different time zones. The preparation took over a year and a half. Planning, organisation, every detail was perfectly executed. It can be said with confidence that this was an absolutely unique operation,” Zelenskyy wrote. 

Today, a brilliant operation was carried out — on enemy territory, targeting only military objectives, specifically the equipment used to strike Ukraine. Russia suffered significant losses — entirely justified and deserved.

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 1, 2025

  “It’s genuinely satisfying when something I authorised a year and six months ago comes to fruition and deprives Russians of over forty units of strategic aviation. We will continue this work,” he added. 

He also confirmed that the operatives involved in the attack had been evacuated from Russian territory and moved to safety before the operation commenced. 

 

 

Peace talks loom amid rising tensions

The developments come as Ukraine and Russia prepare for the second round of direct peace talks, set for June 2 in Istanbul. The first round, held more than a week ago, resulted in the largest prisoner swap since the war began but did not produce a plan to end hostilities. 

Ukraine is expected to propose a 30-day ceasefire, a mutual prisoner release, and a high-level summit between Presidents Zelenskyy and Putin. However, Zelenskyy has expressed frustration over Russia’s lack of transparency, stating that Moscow has yet to provide a memorandum outlining its peace terms. Russian officials, meanwhile, claim they have received Ukraine’s proposals but continue to reject any ceasefire demands.