Full scale of Op Spiderweb devastation laid bare as satellite pix show prized Putin jets in RUINS after $7bn drone blitz
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
THE FULL extent of Ukraine's devastating drone blitz on airfields inside Russia has been laid bare by new satellite pictures.
Masterful Operation Spiderweb inflicted $7billion worth of damage, and left Putin's precious fleet of bombers in tatters.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
8
Shadows of scorched earth are all that remain on Putin's bombers at this airfield
Credit: @AirbusDefence
8
This bomber was smashed to smithereens by the cheap Ukrainian drones
Credit: AFP
8
The Belaya airfield bares the scars of the drone blitz
Credit: @Planet and @AirbusDefence
8
Stunning satellite photos show patches of scorched earth where valuable Russian jets one lay.
The debris has been hastily swept away - perhaps an attempt to conceal the scale of the destruction.
Elsewhere, wreckages of warplanes blown to pieces remain on the tarmac, with fragments strewn across the runway.
The covert drone plot - 18 months in the planning - targeted four airfields deep inside Russia, and is reminiscent of the most daring raids of the WW2 that turned the tide against the Nazis.
Volodymyr Zelensky oversaw the operation and said: "It's genuinely satisfying when something I authorized a year and six months ago comes to fruition and deprives Russians of over forty units of strategic aviation.
"We will continue this work."
Putin's doomsday bomber fleet was crippled with 41 - a third of the total - of his most prized aircraft lying in smouldering wrecks on tarmac.
Ukraine said the sneak attack was worth $7bn (£5.2bn) in damage to Russia - caused by just 117 cheaply made drones.
Following the humiliating and costly blow, Putin's stooges came out and accused a Ukrainian ex-DJ of being the mastermind.
Desperate to save face, Russian war bloggers named the man they believe was pulling the leavers as Artem Timofeev.
Dramatic moment Putin's 'war hero' who led slaughter of Mariupol is killed in mysterious suicide bomb attack
Artem, 37, is a former Ukrainian DJ.
Putin's sleuths think they have identified that he owned the lorries used to carry the containers to the strikes.
Alleged drivers who transported the crates and were tracked down by the bloggers all had similar stories about taking instruction from an "Artem", the Daily Mail reports.
They appeared to have thought they were transporting wooden frame houses, but instead they moved kamikaze drones into strike position.
8
Ukraine hit bombers at the Russian Belaya Air Base in Irkutsk
Credit: East2West
8
Ukraine released photos of the drones in the crates taken from inside Russia
Credit: Unpixs
8
A still from first-person-footage of the drone blasts
Credit: Ukrainian Armed Forces
The drones and the containers were smuggled into Russia and then pieced together right under Vlad's nose.
Clueless lorry drivers then parked the containers next to Russian airbases - where they sat and waited in plain sight.
Zelensky said the drivers were led far away from their vehicles - as Ukraine looked to hide those involved being captured and interrogated the FSB.
Then, on the morning of June 1, the fleet of flying bombs rose over the far reaches of Russia - and the most daring military operation of the war began.
Nondescript shipping containers parked in laybys and verges had attracted little attention - before their lids blew open and the drone swarms poured out.
Russian civilians stood in awe as they saw the drones zoom out of the containers and head in the direction of the airbase.
The craft buzzed as they took off into the air and only had to travel a short distance to their valuable targets.
Each of the 117 drones had their own dedicated pilot and Russia had little defences to protect their bases and stop them.
One hapless Russian soldier stationed at an air base recorded himself standing just meters from several burning wrecks.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
an hour ago
- The National
Here's why the UK Government wants you to feel as if war is coming
In June, Keir Starmer launched the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) in an enormous BAE Systems warehouse in Govan. He said the UK would move to a 'war-fighting readiness'. His language was purposeful; we are meant to feel as if we are on the brink of war. It means more money will go to arms companies, whose profits are already in the billions, while international aid will be cut, and those across the globe who need it most will be left without much-needed support. Starmer said then that the UK Government will increase defence spending to 2.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) from April 2027 with an ambition – but no firm commitment – to increase it to 3% during the next parliament. READ OUR FULL DEFENCE MINI-SERIES: This was not a surprise – European rearmament has occurred to appease the demands of US President Donald Trump. Trump set the hares racing when he suggested that he would drop military support to Ukraine and walk away from Nato if other members failed to meet their spending requirements. To hammer the point home in signature style, Trump summoned Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the White House for a live dressing down in front of the whole world, followed by the suspension of military aid and intelligence sharing. His message: You are nothing to us. In the rush to placate Trump, the target of spending 2% of GDP on defence jumped to an ambition to spend 5% on defence and related industries by 2035. This story was told in the context of the threat posed by Russia, which has been unable to conquer a country less than a third of its size in a more than three-year-long war. Realistically, the prospect of the US deserting Nato and perhaps wielding its economic might in the form of tariffs focused minds more than the risk of immediate war with Vladimir Putin (below). (Image: Vyacheslav Prokofyev) Handily, it also seems it will further cement America's position as the world's largest arms exporter. Between 2015 and 2019, the USA accounted for 35% share of global arms exports; between 2020 to 2024, that shot up to 43%. With Trump's tariffs throwing world trade into a period of dizzying uncertainty, it seems he at least had a plan to keep the world buying American-made killing machines, with European Nato members now getting around two-thirds of their weapons from the USA. In the UK, Starmer wanted to paint his defence review as hand in hand with industrial regeneration. We are supposed to believe that to save industry, and create jobs, we must pivot skills and apprentices into industries that make machines for mass killing. We are supposed to envision family-owned bomb factories boosting the economy with fat order books, but the reality is that arms companies are already raking it in. The supposed industrial renaissance was unable to save the Grangemouth oil refinery or several other manufacturers that have folded since Labour came to power. They say one thing while doing another. Foreign Secretary David Lammy claimed that the UK is not sending weapons to Israel which could be used in Gaza. But they are. They continue to export F-35 parts, and they have been documented as being used by Israel in Gaza. It's complicity in a genocide, but ministers repeat the lie – the UK is not supplying arms to Israel. Still, BAE System's profit margins are looking healthy. In Scotland, the SNP have found themselves in a bit of a pickle over defence, with a policy split emerging between those who support the current policy not to invest public money in arms, while others suggest it should be embraced. READ MORE: Labour defence spending 'one of most inefficient ways' to create jobs The party has not attacked in principle the 5% Nato target, only the means of getting there. Too much is being spent on nuclear weapons, they have complained. It mustn't be funded by cuts to international development or by raiding the welfare budget, they have demanded. But the positive case is not forthcoming. In a recent interview, the party's international affairs spokesperson, Stephen Gethins, suggested the money could come from re-joining the European Union. At the Holyrood level, First Minister John Swinney has sought to keep a low profile – in contrast with the combative tone Humza Yousaf took on [[Gaza]], Nicola Sturgeon whipping MPs to vote against bombing Syria or even Alex Salmond's criticism of the 'unpardonable folly' of the Nato bombing of Serbia. (Image: PA) This is evidenced in the disastrous episode where Swinney sanctioned a meeting between his External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson and Israeli deputy ambassador Daniela Grudsky Ekstein. We saw it too in his calls for 'de-escalation' when America bombed Iran while failing to condemn Trump for doing so. It's a far cry from the 'bombs not bairns' slogan which captured hearts and minds during the independence referendum. It's clear the SNP has not emerged unscathed from the vicissitudes of a rapidly changing world. But let's be clear – defence is a reserved matter. The Labour Government would rather accuse the SNP of playing 'student politics' over its policy stance, being dismissive rather than engaging with any substance. As we revealed, those jobs are not guaranteed, and upping defence spending is 'one of the most inefficient ways' to create them. Meanwhile, a former adviser to the UN Secretary-General said that Starmer's plan will actually make the country more insecure. It's a deliberate tactic, they want to look strong, to harken back to a time where the UK was a bigger player on the world stage, to claw back voters who may be considering going over to Reform UK. It ties in with Labour's giddy adoption of the Union Flag before it came to power. They want to create a perception of strength, while funnelling money to arms firms with no morals, and a desire to keep the war machine running in the pursuit of profit. Never mind the human cost, or higher taxes, that will come as a result. It certainly won't be the jobs boost that has been promised.
Daily Mail
7 hours ago
- Daily Mail
After Trump moves nuclear submarines close to Russia, Putin responds by beginning 'war game training' with China in bleak show of combined force
In retaliation to US President Donald Trump moving submarines closer to Russia, Putin has begun 'war game training' with China in a bleak display of their allied force. Last night, Trump confirmed two US Navy nuclear submarines are 'getting closer to Russia', after an online spat with former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev - now deputy chairman of Russia's National Security Council. In response, Russia and China today showed off their strengthening military ties as they took part in staged mock combat drills and other war games in the Sea of Japan together. A statement from China's Defence Ministry said the Joint Sea-2025 drills were launched in waters nearby Vladivostok, Russia's largest port on the Pacific Ocean. Four Chinese vessels, including guided-missile destroyers Shaoxing and Urumqi, will be participating in the drills which will span across three days. The exercises will include 'submarine rescue, joint anti-submarine, air defence and anti-missile operations, and maritime combat', followed by naval patrols in 'relevant waters of the Pacific'. Russia and China, which signed a 'no-limits' strategic partnership shortly before Russia went to war in Ukraine in 2022, conduct regular military exercises to rehearse coordination between their armed forces and send a deterrent signal to adversaries. Although they were pre-planned, the joint naval exercises came just a day after Trump moved submarines packed with nuclear warheads towards Russian waters following his argument with Mr Medvedev on social media. On Telegram, an encrypted social media app, the deputy chairman of Russia's National Security Council said Russia could invoke 'Dead Hand' – a doomsday program with the ability to automatically launch a nuclear counterstrike against major US cities, even if Moscow and President Vladimir Putin are wiped out. His post read: 'As for the talk about the "dead economies" of India and Russia, and "entering dangerous territory" - maybe he should recall his favourite movies about "the walking dead", and also remember how dangerous the so-called "Dead Hand", that does not exist in nature, could be. 'He should remember two things: 1: Russia isn't Israel or even Iran. 2: Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country. Don't go down the Sleepy Joe [a reference to former President Joe Biden] road!' Responding in a post on Truth Social, Mr Trump said: 'Based on the highly provocative statements of the Former President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, who is now the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, I have ordered two nuclear submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions. Words are very important and can often lead to unintended consequences. I hope this will not be one of those instances. 'A threat was made… so we have to be very careful. We're going to protect our people. He's entering very dangerous territory!' On Friday, in an interview with cable channel Newsmax, Mr Trump added: 'The subs are getting closer to Russia. We always want to be ready. I want to make sure his words are only words and nothing more than that.' Despite Russia and China both claiming no third country is being targeted by their military cooperation, Japan has objected to the joint drills - stating greater strategic coordination between Beijing and Moscow poses a 'strong concern' for its national security. Whilst announcing the drills on Wednesday, Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesman for Beijing's defence ministry, criticised US Air Force drills with Japan and others in the western Pacific. Mr Xiaogang said: 'The US has been blindly flexing its muscles in the Asia-Pacific region and attempting to use military drills as a pretext to gang up, intimidate and pressure other countries, and undermine peace and stability in the region.' China and Russia have held military exercises together for over 20 years, with 'Joint Sea' exercises beginning in 2012. However, their cooperation, which was once sporadic, has deepened over the past decade, with Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping having met more than 40 times. Last night, the White House, Pentagon and Downing Street refused to comment on the escalating tensions, which come just days before Mr Trump's August 8 deadline for Putin to declare a ceasefire in the war against Ukraine. The US President has vowed to impose 'devastating' sanctions on Russia and her closest trading partners if his demands are not met. A source close to the President told the MoS: 'Trump is running out of patience with Russia. He promised to end the Ukraine war within 24 hours of taking office and clearly that has not happened. 'Now he's threatening to impose sanctions if Putin doesn't declare a ceasefire and come to the negotiating table to discuss peace.' While the location of the subs is unknown, the US Navy has 71 nuclear-powered submarines in its fleet, all of which can travel thousands of miles without resurfacing. By comparison, the Russian Navy fields fewer than 30 nuclear‑powered submarines. Military experts said Mr Trump will most likely have deployed two Ohio -class vessels. Each is armed with up to 20 Trident II D5 missiles that can deliver multiple thermonuclear warheads with a range of up to 7,000 miles. Sources last night told the Washington Post that Russia is 'seeking clarity' from America about Mr Trump's 'actions and intentions', with Russian officials scrambling to assess the significance of the subs' deployment. RIA Novosti, a state-controlled news agency which has been called 'Putin's mouthpiece', confirmed it had sent enquiries to the White House, Pentagon, US Central Command and the National Security Council, but had not received a response. Mr Trump's dramatic doubling down came after the deadliest Russian air strike on Kyiv this year, when 31 people were killed in a single missile strike on an apartment block in the early hours of Thursday morning. Five children, the youngest aged just two, were among the dead. Mr Trump called the air strike 'disgusting' and announced he was sending his special envoy Steve Witkoff to the region to try and negotiate a ceasefire. Russian lawmaker Viktor Vodolatsky said there are enough Russian nuclear submarines in the high seas to tackle the two American subs. Fire breaks out after a Russian attack at the 3 private house and one apartment building as the emergency officials work at the area in Kherson, Ukraine on August 2, 2025 A source close to the President told the MoS: 'Trump is running out of patience with Russia. He promised to end the Ukraine war within 24 hours of taking office and clearly that has not happened' 'The number of Russian nuclear submarines in the world's oceans is significantly higher than the American ones, and the subs that US President Donald Trump ordered to be redirected to the appropriate regions have long been under their control,' he said yesterday. 'So no response from the Russian Federation to the American leader's statement about the submarines is required.' Retired US Marine Colonel Mark Cancian called Mr Trump's announcement that he had sent subs steaming towards Russian waters 'highly unusual'. He said: 'This is signalling in its purest form.' Others urged restraint, saying Mr Medvedev does not speak for Putin. Oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky, now a Putin critic living in London, said: 'When you see his [Mr Medvedev's] latest apocalyptic tweet about turning European capitals to dust, remember: this isn't strategic communication from the Kremlin. It's the rambling of a man drowning his terror in vodka.'
Metro
8 hours ago
- Metro
Russian TikTokkers 'arrested for taking selfies outside oil depot inferno'
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A Ukrainian drone strike on an oil depot in Sochi – the Russian resort that hosted the 2014 Winter Olympic Games – was captured in a video shared online by two TikTok influencers. Footage circulating online shows two young women posing metres away from the inferno, allegedly caused by drone debris hitting a fuel tank. The pair have since been identified as Dasha Vladimirovna, 21, and Karina Evgenyevna, 19 – who have since been detained for accidentally exposing Vladimir Putin's failures to defend Russia. Flames are seen raging behind the two, with pillars of smoke rising into the sky, after the overnight attack. Dasha and Karina do not appear shocked – in the video, they are rapping to the track Crimson Dawn by singer Endshpil, a famous Russian rapper. Before they were identified, police had issued an appeal to members of the piublic, saying: 'During Internet monitoring, a publication was found of two girls filming a video against the backdrop of a fire in Sochi. 'The police have initiated an investigation, measures are being taken to identify the girls, and their actions will be legally assessed.' It was later confirmed that Dasha and Karina had been detained, and there were calls from pro-war outlets for them to issue a public apology over the stunt close to Sochi Airport. Police have not shared the real reason for their arrest, but it is likely that it is the potential glamourising of a Ukrainian strike on Putin's favourite Black Sea resort. The Kremlin has been taking an increasingly hard line against social media stunts seen as highlighting Ukraine's successes in the war. Ukraine's attack is seen as one of the most symbolically and strategically significant ones – deep within Russian territory since the start of the full-scale invasion. The oil depot sustained a direct hit, causing the explosion of a 2,000 cubic metre fuel reservoir and sparking a fire visible across Sochi. More than 120 firefighters and 35 emergency vehicles were deployed to the scene, and operations at the nearby airport were suspended as a precaution. Despite the official account from the governor of Krasnodar, Veniamin Kondratyev, describing the incident as a result of falling drone fragments, widespread footage circulating online paints a starkly different picture. More Trending Videos captured by local residents show towering plumes of black smoke, an orange-glowing night sky, and the sound of drones overhead. In one video, a panicked resident exclaims: 'It's flying, again! Right to the airport!' Moments later, another voice shouts, 'It's a tragedy! Everything's burning!' These images have sharply contrasted with the restrained language used by Russia's regional and federal authorities. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Trump moves nuclear submarines and threatens Russia over 'foolish' statements MORE: Ukrainian prisoner reveals what helped him survive 860 days in Putin's hellish jails MORE: I've studied tsunamis for 25 years – here are the deadly warning signs one is on its way
