Russia reportedly redeploys bombers to Far East bases after Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb
The relocation comes in the wake of Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb, the unprecedented mass drone strike on June 1 that targeted four Russian air bases deep inside the country.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said 117 drones were launched from hidden positions across Russia, damaging 41 aircraft, including Tu-95, Tu-22M3, and Tu-160 bombers.
According to Agentstvo, all Tu-160 bombers have been evacuated from Belaya airfield in Irkutsk Oblast and Olenya airfield in Murmansk Oblast. Some were relocated to Anadyr in Chukotka, Yelizovo in Kamchatka, and Borisoglebskoye in Tatarstan.
Tu-22M3 and Tu-95MS bombers were also redeployed. Eleven Tu-22M3s and all Tu-95MS aircraft near Murmansk reportedly relocated to the Ukrainka airfield in Amur Oblast, Engels-2 in Saratov Oblast, Borisoglebskoye in Tatarstan, and Mozdok in North Ossetia.
The reported relocation of bombers is the latest sign that Ukraine's drone warfare is forcing the Kremlin to rethink its strategic posture, even far from the front lines.
Western analysts and military officials praised Ukraine's ingenuity in the Spiderweb operation. NATO Admiral Pierre Vandier called the mission a modern reinvention of the "Trojan Horse," demonstrating Ukraine's growing technical sophistication and deep-strike capability.
President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that roughly half of the targeted aircraft are damaged beyond repair. Russia has acknowledged losses but insisted all damaged aircraft will be restored.
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