Ukraine’s ‘Operation Spiderweb’ hit at least 13 planes, visuals show
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Satellite images show Putin’s ultra rare A-50 planes wiped out in Ukraine strikes
Satellite images suggest damage at the Belaya airbase in Irkutsk Oblast, Siberia. Ukraine asserted the airbase was targeted during a drone attack on Sunday, along with three other military sites. Images from Ivanovo indicate damage, with several A-50 aircraft impacted and at least one confirmed destroyed.
The photos suggest damage at the Belaya airbase in Irkutsk Oblast, Siberia, which Ukraine asserted was targeted during a drone attack on Sunday, along with three other military sites. Satellite images, taken with synthetic aperture radar (SAR), show several bombers labeled as “destroyed” or “likely destroyed.”
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Reports from OSINT analyst Húrin and the GEOINT X account corroborate that the SBU’s Spiderweb drone operation on June 1 successfully targeted and destroyed at least one A-50 radar aircraft at Russia’s Ivanovo airbase, resulting in minimal damage at Dyagilevo. The images from Ivanovo indicate damage, with several A-50 aircraft impacted and at least one confirmed destroyed.
Later, Andrii Kovalenko, who serves on Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council and leads the Center for Countering Disinformation, reported that at least 13 Russian aircraft were destroyed in recent operations, with additional aircraft sustaining damage.
The strikes also targeted various sites, including the Olenya air base in Murmansk Oblast, the Diaghilev air base in Ryazan Oblast, and the Ivanovo air base in Ivanovo Oblast, where over 40 aircraft were impacted.
Latest On Russian Aircraft Loss Assessments From Ukrainian Drone Strikes
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. The image of Belaya that ICEYE US provided to TWZ was taken on June 1, the day of the Ukrainian drone attacks. It shows what the firm has assessed to be at least four Tu-95s likely damaged or destroyed at that base, as seen below. The resolution of the image and the nature of SAR, which does not show the same kinds of details that would be available in visual spectrum imagery, do make it difficult to definitively determine the state of any of the aircraft. The New York Times separately reported today that as many as 20 planes at Belaya and Olenya, at least, were struck, citing unnamed American and European security officials. Ukraine claims to have hit 41 aircraft, in total, includingTu-95 Bear, Tu-22M Backfire, and Tu-160 Blackjack bombers, as well as A-50 Mainstay airborne early warning and control aircraft.
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways
Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite imagery that TWZ has obtained from U.S.-based ICEYE US further points to multiple Russian Tu-95 Bear bombers having been damaged or destroyed at Belaya Air Base. Situated in Russia’s eastern Irkutsk region, Belaya was one of five bases that Ukraine targeted in unprecedented covert drone attacks over the weekend. Exactly how many of Russia’s aircraft were struck remains unconfirmed, and readers can first get up to speed on what is known about the operation and its aftermath in our past reporting here.
The image of Belaya that ICEYE US provided to TWZ was taken on June 1, the day of the Ukrainian drone attacks, and shows what the firm has assessed to be at least four Tu-95s likely damaged or destroyed at that base, as seen below. However, the resolution of the image and the nature of SAR, which does not show the same kinds of details that would be available in visual spectrum imagery, do make it difficult to definitively determine the state of any of the aircraft.
Courtesy ICEYE US
Courtesy ICEYE US
A general view of Belaya as seen via synthetic aperture radar (SAR) in the aftermath of Ukraine’s drone attacks on June 1. Courtesy ICEYE US
Ukrainian authorities claim to have hit 41 aircraft, in total, including Tu-95 Bear, Tu-22M Backfire, and Tu-160 Blackjack bombers, as well as A-50 Mainstay airborne early warning and control aircraft, and other types. In addition to Belaya, Russia’s Dyagilevo, Ivanovo, Olenya, and Ukrainka air bases were also said to have been targeted.
�� Because I’ve not seen it anywhere yet…
Here’s a map I made of the 4 Russian air bases that Ukraine hit with drone attacks just now (red stars)
Look how deeply they penetrate into Russian territory.
Slava Ukraini. ✊ pic.twitter.com/Oo0dkeSrGi — Mike Galsworthy (@mikegalsworthy) June 1, 2025
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The New York Times separately reported today that as many as 20 planes at Belaya and Olenya, at least, were struck, citing unnamed American and European security officials. Andriy Kovalenko, an official with Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, previously said that “at least 13 Russian aircraft were destroyed.” Independent verification of these claims remains difficult and they continue to be largely speculative.
From left to right, stock images of Russian Tu-95, Tu-22M, and Tu-160 bombers. Russian Ministry of Defense
A Russian A-50 airborne early warning and control aircraft. aviation-images.com/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
ICEYE’s specific assessments regarding Belaya do align with what can be seen in other SAR imagery of that particular base now circulating online from Capella Space and Umbra Space. Commercial satellite providers that offer SAR imaging capability have been a go-to since Ukraine launched its drone attacks due to heavy cloud cover over the targeted bases in Russia. SAR provides a valuable all-weather imaging option that can also ‘see’ through smoke, dust, and other obscurants.
The revetted parking positions. pic.twitter.com/WNFYnlEZDz — Chris Biggers (@CSBiggers) June 2, 2025
Satellite imagery shows Ukraine attack destroyed and damaged Russian bombers
Drone operation was one of Ukraine’s most damaging of war so farhttps://t.co/YmwrepePy4 via @Reuters — Nino Brodin (@Orgetorix) June 3, 2025
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“What we’re seeing across multiple theaters reinforces why persistent, all-weather monitoring capabilities are essential for understanding rapidly evolving situations,” a spokesperson for ICEYE US told TWZ. “Commercial SAR technology provides decision-makers with continuous situational awareness that doesn’t depend on weather conditions or time of day—capabilities that are increasingly critical as conflicts become more dynamic and distributed.”
“The ability to detect changes in infrastructure, movement patterns, and ground conditions through any weather gives commanders and analysts the persistent vigilance they need to make informed decisions,” they added. “This is exactly why we’ve focused on delivering commercial capabilities that complement national systems—providing redundancy and additional perspective when traditional sensors might be limited.”
At the same time, as TWZ has previously noted, SAR imagery, of the commercial variety in particular, has limitations for evaluating the kinds of damage that are of interest in the wake of Ukraine’s drone attacks. Pairing SAR images with other intelligence-related products can help bridge the certainty gap.
When it comes to Belaya, videos taken at ground level had previously emerged online showing smoke rising from the base following the Ukrainain attacks, which lends further credence to what is seen in the SAR imagery.
Footage of a Ukrainian FPV strike drone flying towards Russia’s Belaya Airbase, already heavily burning.
The base, home to a number of bombers, was hit this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/JYFBqurknE — OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) June 1, 2025
Belaya, June 1, 2025, operation Spiderweb, another footage pic.twitter.com/QIcrkpU5EN — IgorGirkin (@GirkinGirkin) June 2, 2025
Video footage of the drone attacks on Olenya Air Base, located in far northwestern Russia near the Barents Sea, including views from the cameras on first-person-view (FPV) type kamikaze drones, had also previously appeared online. Olenya looks to have been one of the hardest hit bases, with the dramatic drone videos showing Tu-95 bombers, as well as an An-12 Cub cargo plane, being targeted. A satellite image of Olenya taken today from Planet Labs may show three Tu-95s and the An-12 damaged and/or destroyed, but it is too low-resolution to be conclusive.
Olenya/Olenegorsk/Vysokiy (part two).Burning An-12: 68.146555, 33.450901Destroyed Tu-95MS from part 3 at 68.145419, 33.449928 identified as RF-94257 ’22 Red’ — Evergreen Intel (@vcdgf555.bsky.social) 2025-06-02T14:24:07.929Z
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�� Satellite images of ���� Olenya Airbase as of June 3, 09:55 UTC
The airbase housed 1 Tu-160 (Blackjack), 1 Il-76 (Candid), 3 An-12 (Cub) and 28 Tu-22M3 (Backfire-C).
After the Ukrainian special operation, 4 completely destroyed planes can be seen: 3 Tu-95MS (Bear-H) and 1 An-12… pic.twitter.com/Y1o09X63SO — AviVector (@avivector) June 3, 2025
A high-resolution satellite image of Dyagilevo Air Base from Planet Labs taken yesterday, which TWZ has reviewed, shows no obvious signs of damage to any aircraft there. It is worth noting that damage from shrapnel, which can be significant to relatively thin-skinned aircraft, would not be visible even in higher-resolution imagery.
�� Satellite images of ���� Dyagilevo Airbase as of June 2, 8:55 UTC
The airbase housed 3 Tu-95MS (Bear-H), 5 Tu-22M3 (Backfire-C), 14 Il-78M or Il-76MD (Midas or Candid) and 2 Su-30SM (Flanker-C).
There was no serious damage after the Ukrainian special operation. In the right… pic.twitter.com/BUz2h0t9aj — AviVector (@avivector) June 2, 2025
Clear satellite imagery that might definitely show damage to aircraft at Ivanovo and Ukrainka has yet to emerge.
There are also unconfirmed reports today that the Security Service of Ukraine, or SBU, which carried out the drone attacks, has additional unreleased video footage showing two A-50s and multiple Tu-22Ms being struck at unspecified bases.
My frequent co-writer Michael Weiss also confirms the content of the video: https://t.co/kdw1NWZwdo — Jimmy Rushton (@JimmySecUK) June 3, 2025
As TWZ has noted in our past reporting on the Ukrainian drone attacks, any Russian losses of Tu-95, Tu-22M, to Tu-160 bombers, as well as A-50s, carry significant weight. None of these aircraft can be repaired and/or replaced quickly, if at all. Russian authorities have stated plans in the past to buy 50 ostensibly new-production Tu-160M2 aircraft with various upgrades. As of last year, however, only three appeared to have been built, none of which had entered operational service. TWZ has noted in the past that the Tu-160M2 plan could include refurbished existing jets and ones built using unfinished airframes.
The initial Tu-160M2 prototype. United Aircraft Corporation
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Russia would not have had to lose very many bombers, as well as A-50s, to have substantial impacts with regard to operations in Ukraine and well beyond. As we have previously written:
“Even taking one or two bombers out of operation will impact the Russian Aerospace Forces. The bomber triad has played a key role in launching the barrages of cruise missiles that have regularly struck targets across Ukraine.”
“At the same time, these aircraft are a integral part of Russia’s nuclear deterrent. This makes them a matter of great prestige, but also a critical element in Russia’s ability to launch nuclear or conventional airstrikes against targets outside of Ukraine. These aircraft are also regularly used for long-range patrols over Europe and Asia, also venturing as far as the coast of Alaska, and for irregular visits to strategic allies.”
“Wiping out a significant portion of one prong of the nuclear triad — the most flexible part of it — has an impact on the credibility of Russia’s overall deterrent. It’s also worth noting that Moscow has repeatedly said that attacks on strategic targets would constitute a red line for them, although, strategic bombers and critical locales have been attacked on numerous occasions in the past, too. None of these strikes have been as widespread and possibly successful as this operation though. Regardless, even if a handful of bombers met their demise, it’s a blow to Russia’s nuclear deterrent posture.”
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Regardless of the full scale and scope of the resulting damage, Ukraine’s drone attacks on Russian air bases far from the front lines already has clear propaganda and morale-boosting benefits. There is emerging evidence of second-order impacts in Russia, including disruptions due to the implementation of new protocols for inspecting trucks and other security measures, as well.
Russia has now started a truck phobia, massive traffic jams have gripped the Irkutsk region, every truck is being checked
Source: https://t.co/onUKB1rzhW pic.twitter.com/YPy2kUxf12 — Oriannalyla ���� (@Lyla_lilas) June 2, 2025
А что случилось.По всей России фуры стоят…Может учения какие? pic.twitter.com/aM99pTJnxu — Друг человека (@boris0630) June 3, 2025
As more and better satellite imagery continues to emerge, along with other verifiable visuals and other details, the full extent of Ukraine’s mass drone attacks on Russian bases will come more and more into view.
Howard Altman contributed to this story.
Contact the author: joe@twz.com
Shocking satellite images show row of Russian ‘nuclear-capable’ bombers destroyed after Ukrainian drone attack
New satellite images show the extent of the destruction against one fleet of Russian bombers during Ukraine’s “Operation Spider Web” attack on the Kremlin’S air bases over the weekend. The images, shared by open source analysts, show nothing but dust and debris where more than a dozen of Russia’s nuclear-capable bombers once stood. At least four strategic heavy Tu-95 bombers were also identified among the aircraft destroyed at the Belaya airfield. Similar before and after satellite images were released of the Ivanovo air base, located 100 miles northeast of Moscow. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said the daring attack will likely force Moscow to reconfigure its air defenses following the humiliating blow.
The images, shared by open source analysts, show nothing but dust and debris where more than a dozen of Russia’s nuclear-capable bombers once stood on the runway at the Belaya airfield, one of at least four military bases struck by 117 Ukrainian drones on Sunday.
John Ford, a research associate at the California-based James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, said the images supplied by Capella Space, a satellite company, confirm Ukraine’s achievement in destroying the fleet based in the Irkutsk region.
5 Satellite images of the Belaya airfield in Irkutsk region shows the military base before and after the Ukrainian attack on Russia’s bombers. via REUTERS
5 Several of the heavy bombers at the airbase were blown to smithereens. via REUTERS
The SAR images showed the remnants of at least two Tu-22 Backfires — the same type of supersonic aircraft that have been used to bombard Ukraine.
At least four strategic heavy Tu-95 bombers were also identified among the aircraft destroyed at the Belaya airfield.
“It is clear that the attack on this airbase was very successful,” Brady Africk, an open source intelligence analyst, told Reuters after studying the images.
“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.”
5 Similar before and after satellite images were released of the Ivanovo air base. 2025 Planet Labs PBC/AFP via Getty Images
5 Kyiv touted the assault that saw 41 of Moscow’s nuclear-capable bombers hit on Sunday. SECURITY SERVICE OF UKRAINE/AFP via Getty Images
Africk noted that the Belaya airfield is littered with flat decoy aircraft, none of which appeared to fool the Ukrainian drones deployed at the military base.
Similar satellite images were released of the attack on the Ivanovo air base, located 100 miles northeast of Moscow.
In total, Operation Spider Web hit 41 warplanes in at least 4 different airbases, according to Ukraine’s intelligence agency SBU, with pro-Moscow military bloggers describing the attack as “Russia’s Pearl Harbor.”
5 Ukrainian officials dubbed the operation “absolutely brilliant,” dealing a major blow to the bombers Moscow has been using to drop missiles over the border. SECURITY SERVICE OF UKRAINE/AFP via Getty Images
Some 34% of Russia’s Tu-95 bomber fleet, equipped to carry nuclear payloads, were reportedly wiped out, the SBU added.
Andriy Kovalenko, an official on Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, said that at least 13 of the targets were fully destroyed, with the damage estimated to have cost Russia $7 billion in losses.
The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said the daring attack will likely force Moscow to reconfigure its air defenses following the humiliating blow.
“The… operation will force Russian officials to consider redistributing Russia’s air defense systems to cover a much wider range of territory and possibly deploying mobile air defense groups that can more quickly react to possible similar Ukrainian drone strikes in the future,” the ISW said.
With Post wires
Fact Check: NOT Op Spider’s Web! ARMA 3 clip shared as Ukraine’s attack on Russian aircraft
A video allegedly showing the drone attack started making the rounds on social media. The clip showed several aircraft on fire as multiple explosions took place, seemingly at an air base. India Today Fact Check found that this is an “Arma 3’ video game footage. All of these clips have a disclaimer in the description stating that “these videos are made for entertainment and educational purposes in military simulator ARMA 3.” The video in question is from Arma 3 and has nothing to do with Op Spider’s Web.
Amid this, a video allegedly showing the drone attack started making the rounds on social media. The clip showed several aircraft on fire as multiple explosions took place, seemingly at an air base. Drone-like objects could also be seen flying in the sky above.
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Those sharing the clip wrote, “Breaking: Footage shows the destruction of Russian jets by Ukrainian drones.”
Some news reports have even used a screenshot from this video in their reports about Ukraine’s Op Spider’s Web.
India Today Fact Check, however, found that this is an “Arma 3” video game footage.
OUR PROBE
Reverse-searching keyframes from the viral clip led us to an extended version of it, shared on a YouTube channel on January 1, 2025. The description read: “40 Russian strategic bombers TU-95 destroyed in daring Ukrainian FPV-Drone swarm raid. Arma 3 Footage! Not real news!”
This YouTube video is a compilation of multiple clips showing aerial attacks on aircraft using drones. This channel has posted a few other similar videos as well. All of these clips have a disclaimer in the description stating that “these videos are made for entertainment and educational purposes in military simulator ARMA 3.”
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Multiple videos of Ukraine’s Operation Spider’s Web have surfaced on social media showing Russian aircraft on fire. However, the video in question is from Arma 3 and has nothing to do with Op Spider’s Web.
It is noteworthy that videos of Arma 3 gameplay have been shared in the context of the Russia-Ukraine war earlier as well. Our reports on such military simulation videos can be read here and here.
Published By: Anuja Jha Published On: Jun 3, 2025
Analysis-Satellite imagery shows Ukraine attack destroyed and damaged Russian bombers
Ukraine targeted at least four air bases across Russia using 117 unmanned aerial vehicles. Drone footage of the operation verified by Reuters shows several aircraft were struck in at least two locations. Russian Defence Ministry said Ukraine had launched drone strikes targeting military airfields in Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur regions. Kremlin said on Tuesday 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. “Retribution is inevitable,” he said, adding that Russia would not tolerate attacks on its soil. The attack, called “Spider’s Web”, was one of the most complex and effective operations launched by Ukraine in more than three years of war. It was carried out from 4,300 km (2,670 miles) from the front line of the war, which is 12,000km (7,000 miles) away.
(Reuters) -Satellite imagery of a Russian air base taken shortly after Ukraine carried out a drone attack deep inside Russia over the weekend shows several strategic bombers were destroyed and badly damaged, according to three open source analysts.
Ukraine targeted at least four air bases across Russia using 117 unmanned aerial vehicles launched from containers close to the targets. Drone footage of the operation verified by Reuters shows several aircraft were struck in at least two locations.
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Capella Space, a satellite company, supplied Reuters with an image of one of those airfields, located in the Siberian region of Irkutsk. The image was taken on June 2, the day after one of the most complex and effective operations launched by Ukraine in more than three years of war.
Cloud cover can obscure conventional satellite pictures, but the data is from synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites which direct energy beams at the Earth and detect echoes, making it possible to identify small topographical details.
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.
“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,” said John Ford, a research associate at the California-based James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies.
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Ford said that SAR imagery provided to him by Reuters 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.
Brady Africk, an open source intelligence analyst, agreed that the SAR imagery of Irkutsk air base 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.
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“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 air base is home to several flat decoy aircraft, which he said had apparently failed to mislead Ukrainian drones in this case.
LARGE EXPLOSION
Reuters has not yet obtained SAR imagery of the Olenya airfield, a base in Murmansk in Russia’s far northwest that was also attacked.
But drone video footage of Olenya base provided by Ukrainian authorities and verified by Reuters showed two burning bombers which appeared to be Tu-95s and a third, also a Tu-95, being hit by a large explosion.
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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.
The Kremlin said on Tuesday 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. “Retribution is inevitable.”
Ukraine’s domestic security agency, the SBU, has claimed responsibility for the operation, called “Spider’s Web”, and said that in total 41 Russian warplanes were hit.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy 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.
“After processing additional information from various sources and verifying it … we report that the total (Russian) losses amounted to 41 military aircraft, including strategic bombers and other types of combat aircraft,” it added in a later update. There was no immediate public response from Moscow to the SBU statement.
The SBU said the damage caused by the operation amounted to $7 billion, and 34% of the strategic cruise missile carriers at Russia’s main airfields were hit.
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Reuters could not independently verify the claims.
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.
“The … operation will force Russian officials to consider redistributing Russia’s air defence systems to cover a much wider range of territory and possibly deploying mobile air defence groups that can more quickly react to possible similar Ukrainian drone strikes in the future,” the ISW said.
(Writing by Mike Collett-WhiteEditing by Frances Kerry and Jon Boyle)