The synthetic aperture radar (SAR) pictures appear to show the debris of several aircraft located along the runway of the Belaya military airbase or parked in protective revetments nearby. John Ford, a research associate at the California-based James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, said they showed what appeared to be the remnants of two destroyed Tu-22 Backfires – long-range, supersonic strategic bombers that have been used to launch missile strikes against Ukraine. The SAR image, as well as drone footage of the strikes posted on social media, also indicated that four strategic heavy Tu-95 bombers had been destroyed or severely damaged, he added.

Satellite pictures of a Russian airbase taken shortly after Ukraine carried out a deep strike with drones show strategic bombers destroyed or badly damaged . Ukraine targeted at least four airbases across Russia using 117 unmanned aerial vehicles launched from containers close to the targets in Operation Spiderweb . Capella Space, a satellite company, supplied Reuters with images of one of those airfields, located in the Siberian region of Irkutsk, taken on 2 June, the day after the operation.

Composite picture of the Belaya airfield in Irkutsk before and after Operation Spiderweb. The picture on the left was taken photographically while the one on the right was produced with synthetic aperture radar (SAR), which scans the Earth from orbit.

Ukraine on Tuesday detonated a massive underwater blast that “severely damaged” the base of pylons holding up the illegally built Kerch Bridge , which connects the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula of Ukraine to Russia. The signature project of Vladimir Putin was hit with the equivalent of more than a metric tonne of TNT, said Kyiv’s SBU security service, write Peter Beaumont and Artem Mazhulin .

Brady Africk, an open source intelligence analyst, agreed that the SAR imagery of Irkutsk airbase showed several Tu-95s and Tu-22s had been destroyed and damaged , although more imagery was needed to properly assess the impact. “But it is clear that the attack on this airbase was very successful,” he said. “The aircraft targeted in the attack were a mix of Tu-22 and Tu-95 bombers, both of which Russia has used to launch strikes against Ukraine.” Africk added that Belaya airbase is home to several flat decoy aircraft, which he said had apparently failed to mislead Ukrainian drones.

The Kerch Bridge is heavily protected and Ukraine’s ability to place explosives directly on its underwater structure, coming after Operation Spiderweb, is the second grave embarrassment for Putin and Russian security services in three days. In October 2022 a truck exploded on the bridge, shutting it down, while in July 2023 the SBU said it had blown up part of the bridge using an experimental naval drone. Both times, Russia repaired the damaged sections. The bridge is regularly closed in security scares. Lt Gen Vasyl Maliuk, of the SBU, who supervised the latest operation, described it as “an absolutely legitimate target, especially considering that the enemy used it as a logistical artery to supply its troops … Crimea is Ukraine, and any manifestations of occupation will receive our tough response.”

A Russian attack killed at least four people and wounded 25 in the north-eastern Ukrainian city of Sumy on Tuesday, officials said. Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, posted that the “completely deliberate” strike on civilians was “all you need to know about Russia’s ‘desire’ to end this war”. Russia also fired rocket artillery at Chystovodivka village in the Kharkiv region, killing two people and injuring three others, said the regional governor, Oleh Syniehubov.

The attacks came a day after direct peace talks in Istanbul made no progress on ending the fighting – and as Dmitry Medvedev, Putin’s former prime minister and proxy president now on Russia’s security council, strongly suggested there was no sincere effort from the Kremlin’s side. “The Istanbul talks are not for striking a compromise peace on someone else’s delusional terms but for ensuring our swift victory and the complete destruction [of Ukraine’s government],” he said.

Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, posted after meeting Trump envoy Keith Kellogg on Tuesday: “[Russia is] playing for time, manipulating the talks, trying to avoid US sanctions and not wanting a ceasefire.” The Ukrainian foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, said that at their latest talks in Istanbul “the Russian side passed a set of old ultimatums that do not move the situation any closer to true peace”. Russia meanwhile ignored a request to comment on Ukraine’s ceasefire proposals, he said. “We demand Russia’s reply. Each day of silence from them proves their wish to continue the war.”

Satellite images published by AviVector show at least four Tu-95 strategic bombers completely destroyed. Photo: courtesy of AviVector

The high-resolution satellite images from AviVector were taken on June 3, 2025, two days after the unprecedented Ukrainian attack on the air field.

The attack left five aircraft completely destroyed by fire. On the air fields are only small remains of the what used to be among Russia’s most dreaded weapons.

On the images are also two Mi-24 helicopters that might have gotten damages in the attack. On the runway is also a Tu-160 bomber that appears not hit by the Ukrainian drones.

According to AviVector, another three Tu-95 bombers, as well as four Tu-22M3 bombers, were destroyed at the Belaya air base in Irkutsk.

The operation dubbed as the ‘Spider Web’ had been under planning for 18 months. In a simulations attack on five air bases, more than 100 drones took off from containers mounted on trucks.

It has been described as a historical ‘trojan horse’ operation.

The Ukrainian Security Service first reported that more than 40 targets had been hit.

The Olenya base is frequently used by the Russian Air Force in its terror bombing raids on Ukrainian towns and cities.

“The war has started in Olenegorsk,” a local inhabitant in the town located near the air base said about the attack. Reportedly, also a fuel depot was hit. Locals told a social media channel that they heard at least 10 explosions.

The attack came only few days after the Russian air force reportedly had redeployed about 40 Tu-22M3 bombers to Olenya, following growing concern for drone attacks at more southern air bases.

According to Kristian Åtland, senior researcher at the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment, the operation was the most successful and devastating attack ever carried out against Russian bomber bases.

“This is significant setback for Russia’s long-range strike forces and Russia’s ability to continue to attack Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities with air-launched cruise missiles. Some of the damaged bombers may, of course, be repaired or replaced, but it will take time. In the meantime, Russia will probably continue to attack Ukraine with Shahed drones and other weapons.”

Before-After Images Reveal Heavy Damage To Russian Bombers After Ukraine Drone Strikes

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: June 04, 2025, 11:05 IST

A Ukrainian drone strike damaged or destroyed multiple Russian strategic bombers at Belaya airbase, with satellite imagery confirming hits on Tu-22 and Tu-95 aircraft.

Advertisement

Days after Ukraine’s massive drone attack deep inside Russia over the weekend, a satellite image of a Russian airbase has revealed damage to multiple strategic bombers.

A combination picture shows satellite images of the Belaya airfield, before and after the Ukrainian drones attack targeting Russian military airfields (Source: Capella Space via Reuters)

According to Reuters, the image of one of the airfields in the Siberian region of Irkutsk hit by Ukrainian strikes was provided by satellite company Capella Space.

Recommended Stories

Captured on June 2, a day after one of the most complex and effective operations launched by Ukraine in more than three years of war, the image shows several aircraft struck in at least two locations.

The image, more grainy than conventional high-resolution photographs and in black and white, appears to show the debris of several aircraft located along the runway of the Belaya military air base or parked in protective revetments nearby.

Below is the image showing the airbase before the attack.

“Based on the debris visible, comparison to recent satellite images and released drone footage from Telegram posted to Twitter, I can see the destruction of several aircraft,” John Ford, a research associate at the California-based James Martin Centre for Nonproliferation Studies, was quoted by Reuters as saying.

Ford said that SAR imagery provided to him showed what appeared to be the remnants of two destroyed Tu-22 Backfires – long-range, supersonic strategic bombers that have been used to launch missile strikes against Ukraine.

The SAR image, as well as drone footage of the strikes posted on social media, also indicated that four strategic Tu-95 heavy bombers had been destroyed or severely damaged, he added.

UKRAINIAN DRONE STRIKES IN RUSSIA

The Russian Defence Ministry said Ukraine had launched drone strikes targeting military airfields in Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur regions.

Air defences repelled the assaults in three regions, but not Murmansk and Irkutsk, it said, adding that in those places several aircraft caught fire.

On Tuesday, the Kremlin said that Russia had launched an official investigation into the weekend Ukrainian drone attacks.

Top Russian security official Dmitry Medvedev also said, in an apparent response to the strikes on Russian strategic bomber bases, that Moscow would take revenge.

Ukraine’s domestic security agency, the SBU, claimed responsibility for the operation, called “Spider’s Web”, and said that in total 41 Russian warplanes were hit.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the attack, which struck targets up to 4,300 km (2,670 miles) from the frontlines of the war, “absolutely brilliant”.

The Ukrainian military initially added 12 aircraft to its running tally of Russia’s wartime military losses on Tuesday.

top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all

According to Reuters, some experts said the operation would not be enough to stop Russia from launching missile attacks on Ukraine using strategic bombers, but it would be hard, if not impossible, to replace the damaged planes because some of them are no longer in production.

The attack was also likely to force Russia to reconfigure its air defences, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) research group.

About the Author Vani Mehrotra Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks. Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.

First Published: June 04, 2025, 11:00 IST

At least 13 aircraft were damaged in Ukraine’s attack Sunday on military bases deep inside Russia, according to a Washington Post review of verified video and satellite imagery. The damaged planes included at least eight Tu-95 bombers, long-range aircraft capable of carrying nuclear weapons, experts said. These planes have been frequently used in Russia’s aerial campaign against Ukraine, according to Will Goodhind, a geospatial analyst at Contested Ground, a research project that uses satellite imagery to track armed conflict.

Advertisement

“As a Soviet-era aircraft, they are no longer in production and cannot be replaced,” Goodhind said. “Some estimates indicate that Russia has only 50 operational TU-95 in service, meaning that the loss of even a handful would be keenly felt.”

The assault was planned over the course of 18 months and involved drones that were sneaked into Russia and placed near key runways. They were concealed inside trucks and beneath the roofs of mobile houses before being activated remotely. Ukrainian officials claimed the operation, code-named “Spiderweb,” destroyed 12 Russian aircraft and hit 41 in total, including A-50, Tu-95, Tu-22, M3 and Tu-160 models.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said that the attack was repelled at bases in three regions and that in two others, “several units of aircraft caught fire.”

Advertisement

Satellite imagery of two air bases where Russia claimed attacks were thwarted, in the Ivanovo and Ryazan regions in the western part of the country, shows no damaged aircraft. Satellite imagery was in some cases not available immediately after the attack because of cloud cover, including of the third air base in the Amur region to the far east.

Belaya air base

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery, which bounces microwave radar signals off the Earth’s surface, shows damage to at least eight aircraft at the Belaya air base in the Irkutsk region — 3,400 miles (5,500 kilometers) east of Ukraine, according to analysis from the open-source intelligence team at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. Geospatial intelligence consultant, Chris Biggers, first posted the SAR image to X, formerly known as Twitter, with a similar analysis.

While the Middlebury team said SAR imagery is typically difficult to interpret, they feel confident in their assessment of what was damaged based on the kind of scattering of debris, as well as a review of recent satellite images and drone footage.

A screen recording from a drone pilot involved in the attack, from video circulating on Telegram, shows a line of Tu-95 bombers parked on the tarmac before the feed cuts out, probably before the strike.

(Video: Telegram)

“Although we only see one targeted in the video, it looks like at least two of them are destroyed and the other two severely damaged, if not all 4 of them are destroyed in the SAR image,” said Sam Lair, a research associate on the Middlebury team.

The open-source defense intelligence firm Janes confirmed that another video from a drone involved in the attack on the Belaya base shows heavy fires burning from three areas where Tu-22 aircraft — warplanes used to launch cruise missiles into Ukraine — had been visible in imagery captured on May 22.

(Video: Telegram)

Olenya air base

Another screen recording from a drone operator shows the Olenya base on the Kola Peninsula near Murmansk during and after the attack. The Middlebury team, Goodhind and Janes said the footage shows damage to four TU-95s and an AN-12 plane, which is primarily used as a transport aircraft.

(Video: Telegram)

Ivanovo and Dyagilevo air bases

High-resolution satellite imagery captured Monday by the firm Planet Labs shows no significant damage at the Ivanovo base and Dyagilevo air bases in western Russia, according to the Middlebury team, Janes and Goodhind.

“We assess that is unlikely that they would be able to conceal an aircraft loss” in the time between the strike and when the satellite image was taken one day later, Janes said. Citing evidence of scorch marks, they said, “The most probable explanation in the case of Dyagilevo is that the base was targeted but no aircraft hit,” they said.