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Yahoo
2 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
NATO hails Ukraine's Operation Spider's Web as most successful and estimates Russian aircraft losses
The North Atlantic Alliance has hailed the Security Service of Ukraine's operation targeting Russian strategic aircraft as highly successful. Source: a senior NATO official, speaking anonymously, cited by European Pravda correspondent Details: The official described the operation as "the most successful" based on NATO's independent calculations, which largely align with Ukrainian estimates. Quote: "We see that at least 40 aircraft were damaged. Between 10 and 13 aircraft were completely destroyed." More details: NATO has identified 15 Tu-95 strategic bombers, 20 Tu-22 aircraft and at least one A-50 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) – a scarce asset in Russia's arsenal – among the damaged assets. The Alliance estimates that the attack has destroyed 34% of Russia's existing missile carriers. "This has a critical impact on Russian capabilities," the person noted. NATO acknowledges that some damaged or destroyed aircraft may serve as "spare parts donors" rather than active combat assets, but it lacks data to distinguish their operational status, the official explained. "We cannot confirm that all were fully operational," they added. "It does not eliminate Russian forces' ability to launch airstrikes, but it significantly reduces their capacity for missile strikes, including those early-morning attacks familiar to Ukrainians." The person also highlighted that the operation demonstrates Ukraine's ability to target Russian military assets anywhere in Russian territory. Background: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has previously commented on Ukraine's Operation Spider's Web targeting airfields housing Russian strategic aircraft. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy informed leaders of several NATO states that Operation Spider's Web demonstrated Ukraine's advanced strike capabilities. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, commenting on the Ukrainian attack that destroyed and damaged Russian strategic bombers, said that Ukraine is successfully defending itself. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
News18
11 hours ago
- General
- News18
Before-After Images Reveal Heavy Damage To Russian Bombers After Ukraine Drone Strikes
Last Updated: 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. 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. 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. 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 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. 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. Watch India Pakistan Breaking News on CNN-News18. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from geopolitics to diplomacy and global trends. Stay informed with the latest world news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated!
Time of India
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Russia-Ukraine war: How Ukraine's drones broke through and hit vital Russian airbases
High-resolution satellite images show Russian airbases deep inside Russia, packed with strategic bombers, transport planes, and airborne warning aircraft. Despite these visible defences, Ukraine's daring drone attacks under Operation Spider Web targeted five bases hundreds, even thousands, of kilometres inside Russian territory — some as far as 8,000 km from the frontline. Inside the targeted airbases The bases hit were Belaya in Siberia's Irkutsk region, Olenya in the Arctic Murmansk area, Ivanovo Severny near Ivanovo city, Dyagilevo in Ryazan, and Ukrainka in Russia's Far East. At Belaya, satellite pictures show Russia's Tu-160 bombers — key to their air power — protected by tyres on their wings and fuselage. Decoys painted on the tarmac mimicked aircraft, designed to fool drones into attacking fake targets. Yet these measures failed. Videos from the airbase reveal plumes of black smoke rising after the strikes. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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Satellite images reveal smoke billowing from the base, and Ukraine claims to have destroyed or damaged multiple aircraft there. Ivanovo Severny housed Russia's advanced A-50 AWACS aircraft — prized for early warning. Several of these have been lost over the war, and Ukraine claims hits on the few remaining, threatening Russian air defence capability. Live Events At Dyagilevo, aerial refuelling tankers — Ilyushin IL-78s — were also camouflaged with painted decoys, but Ukraine's drones penetrated. Ukrainka, the farthest base, also had Tu-95 bombers visible in the images. The attack and its impact Ukraine launched 117 drones concealed in container trucks, striking with precision across the bases. This Trojan-horse style operation destroyed or damaged an estimated 41 Russian military jets, according to Kyiv. Experts examining synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images from Capella Space, shared with Reuters, confirmed extensive damage. John Ford, research associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, said: 'They showed what appeared to be the remnants of two destroyed Tu-22 Backfires.' He added the images, along with drone footage, indicated four heavy Tu-95 bombers were destroyed or severely damaged. Open source analyst Brady Africk said, 'The attack on this airbase was very successful. The aircraft targeted were a mix of Tu-22 and Tu-95 bombers, both used by Russia to strike Ukraine.' He also noted the decoy aircraft at Belaya failed to mislead the Ukrainian drones. A blow to Russian morale, a boost for Kyiv Moscow had presumed its inner airbases were safe, given their distance from Ukraine. Western missile supplies like US ATACMS and UK-France's Storm Shadow lack the range to reach so deep into Russia. Yet Ukraine's drones circumvented this, delivering a major psychological blow to Russia's air force. While Russia still holds air superiority overall, the strikes dent Moscow's morale and lift Kyiv's spirits. Days before the drone strikes, Ukraine's SBU security service reported a major underwater explosion damaging the Kerch Bridge, connecting Russia to occupied Crimea. Lt Gen Vasyl Maliuk of the SBU called it 'an absolutely legitimate target' due to its use as a supply route by Russian forces. Meanwhile, Russian rocket attacks in Ukrainian cities like Sumy and Kharkiv continued, killing civilians. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned these 'completely deliberate' strikes as proof of Russia's intent to prolong the war. Peace talks in Istanbul recently stalled, with Russian officials signalling no desire for compromise. Zelenskyy's team accused Russia of manipulating talks to buy time and avoid sanctions. In response, Britain announced a £350m package to supply 100,000 drones to Ukraine by April 2026, reinforcing Kyiv's growing drone warfare capabilities.
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Satellite Photos Show Russia's Extremely Rare A-50 Radar Plane Hit
Ukraine damaged one of Russia's few A-50 surveillance planes during coordinated, long-range attacks on multiple bases over the weekend, satellite imagery appears to show. The rare A-50 aircraft is an expensive and scarce asset for Russia, previously-and successfully-targeted by Ukraine. Moscow has seven operational A-50 aircraft, said British think tank, the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), earlier this year. Also known by their NATO moniker, Mainstay, A-50 early warning and control aircraft help Russia seek out Ukrainian air defenses and coordinate attacks with fighter jets and bombers. Ukraine on Sunday launched simultaneous drone strikes on several major Russian air bases, including thousands of miles away in Siberia, in a meticulously-planned attack that left analysts stunned and Kyiv triumphant. The head of Ukraine's SBU security service, Lieutenant General Vasyl Malyuk, said on Monday that Kyiv hit 41 aircraft, including Tu-95 and Tu-22 strategic bombers Russia has used extensively to fire long-range missiles at Ukraine. Ukraine also struck an A-50 spy plane, Malyuk said. Andriy Kovalenko, an official with Ukraine's national security and defense council, said on Monday "at least 13 Russian aircraft were destroyed." At least seven Tu-95s and four Tu-22 aircraft were damaged or destroyed, one unnamed senior Western official told Bloomberg. Satellite imagery widely circulating online on Tuesday purports to show a damaged, blackened A-50 on the tarmac at the Ivanovo air base northeast of the Russian capital, Moscow. Newsweek could not independently verify the imagery, which appears to be sourced from a Chinese satellite imagery firm, and has reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry for comment via email. Ukraine publicly confirmed it had targeted four airfields "simultaneously," attacking the Ivanovo base, along with the Olenya facility in the northwestern Murmansk region, the Dyagilevo airfield in the Ryazan region and Belaya, another base for Russia's long-range bombers in Siberia, more than 2,500 miles from Ukrainian territory. Russia's Defense Ministry said Ukraine had used first person-view (FPV) drones to target military airfields in five regions-Amur, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Murmansk and Ryazan. Open-source analysis has suggested one A-50 spy plane was damaged or destroyed at Ivanovo air base, as well as four Tu-95 aircraft and three Tu-22M3 bombers at the Belaya air base, the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) think tank said on Monday. A picture, published by satellite imagery giant Maxar, showed A-50 aircraft at the Ivanovo base on May 3, with tires and debris placed on the wings. Russia is known to have placed tires on the wings of its aircraft throughout the war, trying to fend off Ukrainian drone attacks. "Aircraft standing on their runway have always been vulnerable," said Frederik Mertens, a strategic analyst with Dutch research organization, TNO. High-value targets, like costly aircraft and the airfields used as home bases, will have to upgrade all types of defenses to shield against the threat drones can now pose, Mertens told Newsweek. Satellite imagery from Belaya, taken by Maxar on May 20, showed outlines of aircraft painted onto the tarmac alongside Tu-160 bombers and a decoy version of a Tu-22 at the base. Ukraine said in early 2024 it had taken out two Russian A-50s in quick succession, including one aircraft over the Sea of Azov. In February 2024, Ukraine's military reported Moscow was "trying to replace" its A-50s with reconnaissance drones-although experts suggested to Newsweek that this stopgap measure would have limited success. Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, said in a statement on Sunday: "Planning, organization, every detail was perfectly executed. It can be said with confidence that this was an absolutely unique operation." It's not clear whether Ukraine will attempt another, similar operation of the same scale, and how Russia will respond to the strikes after peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow on Monday failed to yield an agreement. Related Articles Crimea Bridge Hit by ExplosionAre the Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks Going Anywhere? | OpinionRussia Hits Sumy Civilians With New MLRS Strike: 'Absolutely Deliberate'What 'Russia's Pearl Harbor' Says About Trump's Golden Dome 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
'Aces up the sleeve': Ukraine drone attacks in Russia shake up conflict
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Ukraine managed to not only humiliate the Kremlin by boasting of taking out more than a third of all Russian missile carriers in a spectacular drone attack but also to rewrite the rules of modern warfare, analysts being outnumbered and outgunned, Kyiv used inexpensive drones at the weekend to destroy Russian nuclear-capable bombers worth billions of dollars in an operation carried out after months of planning."Spider's Web" dealt a blow to Russia more than three years after its invasion of Ukraine, and the operation will now be studied closely by militaries around the world as a new strategy in asymmetric warfare Ukraine said it destroyed $7 billion worth of Russian aircraft parked at airbases thousands of kilometres across the border, mainly Tu-95 and Tu-22 long-range strategic the attacks at Belaya deep in Siberia and Olenya on the Kola Peninsula in the Arctic circle are unlikely to change to course of the war, they will limit Moscow's ability to launch long-range missile strikes against Michel, a researcher at the French university Lyon-3, said the loss of the aircraft was "a serious blow to Russian offensive capabilities"."The main impact could be felt in several weeks' time with a reduction in the number of sorties by the rest of the fleet" due to difficulties in finding spare parts for the Soviet-era planes, which are no longer in production, he told Starchak, a fellow at the Centre for International and Defence Policy at Queen's University in Canada, said it would take Russia a long time to replace the lost aircraft."Russia is extremely slow and inefficient in developing new aircraft for its nuclear forces," he told drones, launched from trucks in the immediate vicinity of air bases deep inside Russia, destroyed or damaged aircraft parked in the Ukraine's security service chief Vasyl Malyuk, President Volodymyr Zelensky said it had taken 18 months of preparation for the 117 drones to be concealed inside trucks close to the airbases, and that all the Ukrainian agents had safely left Shurkin, a former CIA officer, said Ukraine's operation was likely to have struck fear into militaries across the world, adding that potential targets for such drone attacks could include refineries, ballistic missile silos or military bases."This technology is akin to stealth technology: The threat is difficult to detect both because it emerges near the target and is too small and too low to be picked up by sensors designed to catch aircraft or missiles," said Shurkin, director of global programs for the consultancy 14 North military analyst Oleksii Kopytko said anyone delivering a pizza or driving a horse-drawn cart could present a danger. "The organisers and main perpetrators are essentially untraceable," he said.A French arms manufacturing executive said Ukraine could even have trained AI algorithms to recognise aircraft or guide the drones in case of jamming."New tools are forcing us to completely rethink defence systems and how they are produced," said the executive, who asked not to be named."It opens up possibilities that we hadn't even imagined."Zelensky "just proved that he and Ukraine are more than able to pull aces out of their combat fatigue sleeves," said Timothy Ash, an emerging market economist focused on attacks exposed Russia's air base vulnerabilities, in a massive morale boost for Kyiv after months on the backfoot in the conflict."The protection of military air bases does not meet security requirements," said Starchak. "The dispersal of military aircraft across different airfields did not help either."Russia's vast size is also a disadvantage here."Usually, the vastness of Russia's territory is an advantage; you can hide your bombers thousands of kilometres away where they would be safe," said Michel."The problem is that this means you have to monitor thousands of square kilometres, which is simply impossible."The attacks dealt a blow to Moscow's nuclear triad of ground, sea and air-launched missiles, said it was possible to target an airbase it is also possible to hit bases hosting nuclear submarines, Starchak said."An attack on long-range aircraft bases is a potential threat to the entire nuclear triad, which can be easily hit, thereby weakening it to the point that it cannot respond with a nuclear strike."John Herbst, senior director of the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center, said that Ukraine's operation gave US President Donald Trump leverage against Russia's Vladimir Putin in search of a settlement."It is a strong counter to the dubious 'common wisdom' that the war is moving inevitably in Moscow's favour," wrote the former US ambassador to Ukraine.
