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Ya Libnan
3 days ago
- Politics
- Ya Libnan
How Ukraine pulled off a spectacular attack deep inside Russia
Spider Web operation Months of planning went into a covert operation that relied on cheap, short-range drones By Mike Collett-White , Prasanta Kumar Dutta and Mariano Zafra Three days after Ukraine launched its most complex attack against Russia since the full-scale war began, details of how it was carried out and the damage it caused to Russia's strategic bomber fleet are still emerging. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy described the operation, dubbed 'Spider's Web', as 'absolutely brilliant', although the extent of Russian military losses remains unclear. On Wednesday, he said that of the 41 planes damaged, half cannot be repaired. The attacks targeted at least four Russian military air bases, the furthest of which from Ukraine is the Belaya base in the Siberian region of Irkutsk, around 4,850 km (3,000 miles) from Kyiv. Olenya air base (1,982 km from Kyiv) RUSSIA Ivanovo air base (1,017 km) Moscow Dyagilevo air base (781 km) Kyiv Belaya air base (4,849 km) UKRAINE A map showing four air bases in Russia, reportedly attacked during Ukraine's drone strike operation: Olenya air base, Ivanovo air base, Dyagilevo air base, Belaya air base. Source: Institute for the Study of War and AEI Critical Threats Project. According to Ukrainian authorities, the operation involved 117 drones that were smuggled into Russia: they were concealed beneath the retractable roofs of wooden sheds, transported to locations close to military bases and piloted remotely to hit strategic, nuclear-capable bombers. In some cases, artificial intelligence was used to guide the drones to their target. Russian officials said on Wednesday that military options were 'on the table' for its response to Ukrainian attacks deep inside Russia and accused the West of being involved in them. Ukraine's main offensive threat in the war so far has been its long-range drones, which have struck targets deep inside Russia, including oil refineries, military bases and arms depots. Yet, despite some technological advances and increased production, the drones have a maximum range well short of 5,000 km and can be detected as they fly into Russian air space, meaning air defences down many of them. The June 1 operation, including the attack on the Belaya air base, relied on a different threat: relatively small 'kamikaze' drones launched from locations just a few kilometers away. The element of surprise was vital, denying Russia's military the time to move mobile air defenses into place or block the drones with electronic jamming. How the attack unfolded According to Ukraine's security service, the SBU, the drones were smuggled into Russia by its operatives and concealed within the roof space of wooden sheds. An image shared by Ukrainian authorities showed around 20 drones, each with four propellors, placed in wooden cavities below a roof. Trucks carrying FPV (First Person View) drones were quietly parked near key Russian air bases. Cafe Teremok An illustration of the position of a truck carrying drones used in Ukraine's surprise strike. The truck was parked at a roadside stop about 7km from Belaya air base. Video footage verified by Reuters shows that the roof of at least one of the sheds had been removed to release the attack drones at the designated place and time. FPV drones On the day of the strike, a hidden mechanism retracted the trucks' roofs, revealing drone launch platforms inside. Retractable roof Source: Social media, Ukrainian Presidential Press Service. The attack. Hundreds of FPV drones surged from the trucks, targeting dozens of Russian aircraft on the ground. Retractable roof First Person Viev (FPV) drone An illustration shows that the roof of at least one of the sheds remotely removed to release the attack drones at the designated place and time. Russian authorities have given few details about the attack. The Defense Ministry said Ukraine had launched drone strikes targeting military airfields in Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur regions. Air defenses 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 an official investigation into the attack was underway. The Baza news service, which has close contacts in Russian security and law enforcement, named the main suspect as a 37-year-old Ukrainian who had moved to the Russian region of Chelyabinsk in recent years. Reuters has not been able to verify independently Baza's account. According to Baza, which cited unnamed sources, the Ukrainian opened a transportation business in October last year and acquired several trucks in December. It was from these vehicles that the drones used in the attacks were launched, the news service said. Baza said the drivers of four trucks, who apparently did not know about the nature of their cargoes, were told to drive to different destinations across Russia carrying wooden sheds. When the trucks were close to their destinations, the drivers were given instructions over the phone where to stop. In one case, Baza reported, the drones began to fly out of the sheds the moment the truck was parked, and in another while the truck was still moving. Neither Ukraine nor Russia has commented on accounts in the Russian media. Based on images posted on social media, Reuters has established that the truck used in the attack on the Belaya base was parked along the P-255 highway at the time, some 7 km from the airfield. A Ukrainian source with knowledge of the matter said the drones were piloted remotely via the Russian cellular telecommunications network. The SBU said in a statement on Wednesday that during the operation, modern drone control technology was used in the operation combining autonomous artificial intelligence algorithms and manual intervention by the operator. Due to signal loss, some drones switched to performing the mission using artificial intelligence along a pre-planned route. When a drone approached and made contact with a specific target, its explosive was automatically triggered. The SBU said the operatives involved were all back in Ukraine by the time the attacks began. President Zelenskiy said the Ukrainian agents worked across multiple Russian regions in an operation that was 18 months in the planning. Damaged and destroyed Satellite imagery after the attack on the Belaya base show that several strategic bombers — experts say between six and eight — were either destroyed or badly damaged there. Belaya Air Base Tupolev Tu-22M A before and after satellite image of Belaya Air Base showing Tupolev Tu-95 and Tupolev Tu-22M3 planes parked on May 17, 2025. The after image, taken June 4, shows several of the Tu-95 planes seemingly destroyed in the same parked positions. At Olenya, footage released by the SBU and verified by Reuters showed two burning bombers which appeared to be nuclear-capable Tu-95s and a third, also a Tu-95, being hit by a large explosion. New SBU drone footage released on Wednesday showed drones landing on the dome antennae of two A-50 military spy planes, of which there are only a handful in Russia's fleet. There was no video showing the drones detonate. Reuters was able to independently verify the locations of all four air bases in the footage, including the Ivanovo airbase where the A-50s were stationed. The news agency could not independently verify what date the footage was filmed. The SBU said in a statement that the struck aircraft included the A-50, the Tu-95 strategic bomber, Tu-22 supersonic jet bomber, Tu-160 strategic bomber, as well as the An-12 and Il-78 military cargo planes. There was no immediate public response from Moscow to the SBU statement. A Ukrainian security official said strikes were conducted on Sunday on four air bases, and that 41 Russian warplanes were hit. FPV drones Tupolev TU-95 bomber Tupolev TU-22M BELAYA AIR BASE An illustration of Tupolev TU-95 and Tupolev TU-22M bomber at Balaya air base. Verified video of a Ukrainian FPV drone shown attacking a Russian bomber. Video obtained by Reuters via Ukrainian Presidential Press Service. Fabian Hinz, research fellow for defense and military analysis at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), said the attack would prove costly to Russia, partly because the types of aircraft that were hit are mostly out of production. 'The Russians can find a billion here and there, but these aircraft are not produced anymore,' he said. 'That's actually probably much more serious than losing a billion dollars or a few billion dollars. So I think it was a very significant attack.' Estimates of the number of aircraft struck vary, but some experts said that between 10 and 13 strategic bombers – Tu-95s and Tu-22s – were destroyed and others damaged, based on imagery from two of four bases targeted – in Irkutsk and Murmansk. This is only a part of the total fleet, but it reduces the number of planes that Russia can use to carry out cruise missile attacks on Ukraine. Hinz said that Russia could take measures to protect its air bases in the future, but this kind of operation using drones launched locally could be applied to many targets. 'You suddenly have this whole new world of opportunities for sabotage within a country,' he said. 'And this is the most spectacular attack and probably the most impactful attack we've seen that has worked like that.' U.S. President Donald Trump's Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, told Fox News that the damage to the bombers was less important than the psychological impact on Russia. He added that he was particularly concerned by unconfirmed reports of a Ukrainian attack on a naval base in northern Russia. Meanwhile, on the battlefields of Ukraine, Russia continues to grind out steady gains, potentially strengthening its position as the two parties embark on exploratory peace talks. Reuters
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First Post
07-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
When 'mock drills' were about surviving wars: Stories from letter-shaped trenches of Assam
Between candlelit shelters and childhood games in trenches, Assam remembers a time when war crept close and courage took root in everyday lives read more (File) In this December 7, 1971, photo, Indian troops advance inside the Northwest sector of East Pakistan. In 1971 India Pakistan fought their third war in what was then East Pakistan. Indian troops supported secessionists fighting for Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan. The war ended with the creation of Bangladesh. AP While many places in Assam are participating in the nationwide civil defence mock drill on May 7, 2025, the state carries a historical legacy of its own when it comes to such preparedness efforts. Nestled in India's idyllic North East, Assam is no stranger to the country's military history, having played a significant role in several of its major conflicts. During World War II, the region became a crucial base for Allied operations in the Southeast Asian theatre. The construction of the Ledo Road and the use of airstrips like those in Dibrugarh and Chabua helped supply the Allied forces via the treacherous aerial route known as 'The Hump.' In 1962, amid the Chinese aggression, Assam once again found itself on the frontlines. The threat loomed particularly large over towns like Tezpur, with the Chinese army advancing up to the opposite side of the Brahmaputra before withdrawing unilaterally. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Again in 1971, during the India-Pakistan war that led to the liberation of Bangladesh, Assam's proximity to East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) made it a strategically vital region. The state experienced regular air raid sirens, civil defence drills and military preparedness — reflecting both its geographical importance and its vulnerability. These episodes reflect how Assam, often distant from the political centres of conflict, has nonetheless stood at the forefront during national emergencies. When war loomed, trenches became a way of life And when it was wartime, civil defence activities took top priority. 'Mock drills were conducted in full swing before the war. I don't remember trenches being dug in 1971 during the Bangladesh war, but they were definitely dug in 1962 during the Indo-Chinese war,' recalled Prasanta Kumar Dutta, a retired engineer who now resides in Tezpur. 'We were in Nagaon, located just across the Brahmaputra from Tezpur, which was on the northern bank. The Chinese reached up to Tezpur before they went back on their own.' He paints a vivid picture of a childhood shaped by conflict and creativity. 'All the trenches were dug in the shape of English letters like A or M. They were around 2 feet wide and 2.5 feet deep. They were ready during the Chinese aggression, and many such trenches were built. As children, we even played hide and seek in those trenches. However, I don't remember entering them when the actual war with China happened.' At that time, infrastructure was limited. 'There was no bridge then connecting both banks of the Brahmaputra between the districts of Sonitpur and Nagaon. Tezpur, the headquarters of Sonitpur district, also hosted the 4 Corps of the Indian Army and the Salonibari airbase, which is now home to a Sukhoi-30MKI squadron,' he added. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The shape of survival: Why letter-shaped trenches mattered There was method behind the seemingly simple shapes of the trenches. Trenches shaped like the letters A, M or L allowed better movement and access within the network. These configurations offered multiple arms or angles, making it easier for people — especially soldiers — to move quickly between sections. In combat, the ability to shift positions without being exposed to enemy fire is critical and these shapes helped facilitate that. Letter-shaped trenches also offered tactical coverage by allowing defenders to monitor different directions and cover each other's blind spots. For example, an M-shaped trench provided several vantage points, enabling defenders to aim in multiple directions and improving overall defensive capabilities. Another significant advantage of these designs was blast resistance. A straight trench concentrates the force of an explosion along its entire length, increasing casualties. But trenches with bends or angles, such as L or M shapes, helped absorb and deflect the shockwaves and shrapnel from blasts. The corners acted as buffers reducing the impact on those inside. From the air, long, straight trenches are easier to detect. But letter-shaped or irregular trenches blend better with the landscape. Their complex, natural-looking patterns could confuse enemy reconnaissance, making it harder to assess the size, strength or layout of defences. Even internally, these trench shapes offered better organisation. Different arms of an M or A-shaped trench could be designated for different functions — active defence, resting areas, storage or even makeshift medical aid. This functional separation supported both combat efficiency and human welfare inside the trench. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Dibrugarh: A town with wartime memories etched in silence For many residents of Assam, these moments of national crisis are not just history — they are deeply personal. Dipom Baruah, now in his 60s, lives in Dibrugarh district. He vividly remembers the 1971 India-Pakistan war, though he was only a Class 6 student at the time. Dibrugarh never became a battlefield in the conventional sense, but its role in multiple conflicts was far from passive. During World War II, the town gained strategic significance due to its proximity to the Burmese frontier. Though it saw no direct combat, it played a vital logistical and administrative role. During the 1962 Sino-Indian War, Dibrugarh again did not witness direct fighting but was crucial as a supply base. The war occurred mainly in Arunachal Pradesh (then NEFA), which borders Upper Assam. Troops and supplies passed through Dibrugarh en route to the contested Himalayan frontier and the region saw a surge in military presence and preparedness. By 1971, during the Indo-Pak war, Dibrugarh found itself once more in a strategic position. It served as a key logistical and communications hub. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Night sirens and shelters that defined childhood Baruah still recalls those anxious nights. 'When the siren was sounded, lights were switched off immediately. People would rush to the shelter — usually an L-shaped trench dug to about 6x4 feet. The size depended on how many people lived in a household,' he said. 'Most families had these trenches. If there wasn't enough space at home, they were dug even in paddy fields. The idea was to dig deep enough so the person inside was fully covered.' The design of the trench mattered. 'It was recommended that the trench be dug in an L-shape to provide better manoeuvrability in case of an attack from different directions. The shape could help protect people more effectively during air raids,' he explained. These were times when fear became routine. 'When the first siren sounded, people rushed into the trenches. When the second siren was heard, people came out — that meant the threat had passed. The idea was to keep casualties to a minimum if the area was bombed.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'The air raids mostly happened after dusk. People carried candles, matchboxes, sometimes even food. The trench was big enough to sleep in. Often, they were covered with bamboo, banana leaves, or betel nut branches,' he said. Raids were frequent, sometimes nightly. 'There was no count to the raids. As soon as enemy aircraft from East Pakistan were detected on radar, the siren would go off. The raids happened mostly in the evening or at night. Though no bombs were actually dropped here, the raids went on for nearly 21 days — until Pakistan surrendered and Bangladesh was born.' Unsung heroes of civil defence During that tense period, the role of civil defence volunteers was critical. 'Volunteers from were very active. They trained people on how to react during raids. Many young boys and girls were recruited. They carried first aid kits with bandages and Dettol, ready to help if needed. While Dibrugarh saw no direct combat, the level of preparedness was high,' Baruah recalled. But 1971 also left behind a personal scar for him — one that the sirens could not drown out. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'My mother was in the hospital. She passed away that year,' he said quietly. 'Once, we went to visit her with my uncle at the Assam Medical College in Dibrugarh. Then the siren suddenly sounded. We rushed back home — that memory has never left me.' A living history Assam's story is not just about strategic locations or defensive formations. It's about the people who lived through war without fighting it, who prepared for the worst in their courtyards and paddy fields, who taught their children how to duck into trenches when sirens wailed in the night. For them, war wasn't a newspaper headline. It was a night filled with candlelight, whispers and shadows — and the hope that tomorrow would be better.
