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BBC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
How Ukraine carried out daring 'Spider Web' attack on Russian bombers
It was an attack of astonishing ingenuity – unprecedented, broad, and 18 months in the 1 June more than 100 Ukrainian drones struck air bases deep inside Russia, targeting nuclear-capable long-range scale of the operation dubbed "Spider Web" became clear almost as soon as it began, with explosions reported across several time zones all over Russia - as far north as Murmansk above the Arctic Circle, and as far east as the Amur region, over 8,000km from Ukraine. The Russian Defence Ministry confirmed the attacks had occurred in five regions of Russia - Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan and Amur - but stated planes had been damaged only in Murmansk and Irkutsk, while in other locations the attacks had been photos released shortly after the attack, Vasyl Maliuk, the head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), can be seen looking at a satellite map of airfields in which the bases in the locations listed by Russia are clearly identifiable. The operation Maliuk said the drones were smuggled into Russia inside wooden cabins mounted on the back of lorries and concealed below remotely operated detachable lorries were then apparently driven to locations near airbases by drivers who were seemingly unaware of their cargo; then, the drones were launched and set upon their circulating online show drones emerging from the roof of one of the vehicles involved. One lorry driver interviewed by Russian state outlet Ria Novosti said he and other drivers tried to knock down drones flying out of a lorry with rocks."They were in the back of the truck and we threw stones to keep them from flying up, to keep them pinned down," he to unverified reports by Russian Telegram channel Baza – which is known for its links to the security services – the drivers of the lorries from which the drones took off all told similar stories of being booked by businessmen to deliver wooden cabins in various locations around Russia. Some of them said they then received further instructions over the phone on where to park the lorries; when they did so, they were stunned to see drones fly out of them. In a triumphant post shared on social media on Sunday night, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky – who directly supervised the operation - said 117 drones had been used in the daring attack that took "one year, six months and nine days" to prepare. He also said one of the targeted locations was right next to one of the offices of the FSB Russian security services. Russia has said it has detained people in connection with the attack, although Zelensky stated the people who had helped facilitate the operation "were withdrawn from Russian territory... they are now safe".In a now-deleted Telegram post, local authorities from the city of Ust-Kut in the Irkutsk region said they were looking for a Ukrainian-born 37-year-old in connection with the drone attack on the Belaya military airfield. The drones Images shared by the SBU show dozens of small black drones neatly stashed in wooden cabins inside a warehouse, which Russian military bloggers pinpointed to a location in Steve Wright, a UK-based drone expert, told the BBC the drones used to hit Russian aircraft were simple quadcopters carrying relatively heavy added that what made this attack "quite extraordinary" was the ability to smuggle them into Russia and then launch and command them remotely – which he concluded had been achieved through a link relayed through a satellite or the internet. Zelensky said each of the 117 drones launched had its own pilot. Dr Wright also suggested it was likely the drones were able to fly in using GPS but may have also overcome localised Russian jamming measures by manually piloting drones has not shared details on the origin of the drones, but since the start of the war Ukraine has become extremely efficient at manufacturing them – and it is possible the ones used in this operation were produced at home. The targets "Russia has had very tangible losses, and justifiably so," said Zelensky in his nightly video to Ukraine, 41 strategic bombers were hit and "at least" 13 destroyed. Moscow has not confirmed any losses of aircraft beyond saying some planes had been verified by the BBC show damaged aircraft at the Olenegorsk air base in Murmansk and the Belaya air base in Irkutsk. The strategic missile-carrying bombers targeted in the attack are thought to be – among others - the Tu-95, Tu-22 and Tu-160. Repairing them will be difficult and, because none are still in production, replacing them is satellite imagery shared by Capella Space reveals at least four badly damaged or destroyed Russian long-range bombers at Belaya airbase. This matches Ukrainian drone footage also showing an attack on a Tu-95 bomber."According to the laws and customs of war, we have worked out absolutely legitimate targets – military airfields and aircraft that bomb our peaceful cities," said SBU head Vasyl Malyuk. Tu-95 bombers are said to have launched a large-scale Kh-101 missile attack on Ukraine as recently as last week. Each bomber can carry eight guided cruise missiles and each missile itself carries a 400kg (882lb) warhead.A-50 military spy planes were also reportedly targeted. They are valuable aircraft that boost Russia's ability to both intercept Ukrainian missiles and to launch its own strikes. It is not known how many A-50s Russia has - but in February 2024 military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov put that number at eight, so any loss or damage could be a serious blow to a post on social media, the SBU said operation Spider Web cost Russia $7bn (£5.2bn).Russian state media stayed studiously quiet on the attacks, with primetime Sunday TV shows merely quoting statements by regional authorities. By Monday morning, the story had disappeared from the the internet and beyond Ukrainians celebrated, with one lauding the operation as "titanic"."Of course, not everything can be revealed at this moment," Zelensky wrote on Telegram, "but these are Ukrainian actions that will undoubtedly be in history books." Additional reporting by Kumar Malhotra, Tom Spencer, Richard Irvine-Brown, Paul Brown and Benedict Garman
Times of Oman
3 days ago
- Politics
- Times of Oman
"Brilliant operation carried out on enemy territory, Russia suffered significant losses": Zelenskyy
Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that Ukrainian armed forces had conducted a "brilliant operation" in Russia aimed "exclusively at military targets." He said the operation inflicted significant losses on Russia, which he termed as "justified and deserved." In his address to the nation on Sunday, Zelenskyy thanked Ukraine's Security Service and all those involved in the operation and mentioned that 117 drones were used in the operation. He noted that the preparation of the operation took over a year and a half and mentioned that planning, organisation and every detail were perfectly executed. He said, "Just now, I received a report from Head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Vasyl Maliuk - a brilliant operation was carried out. It took place on enemy territory and was aimed exclusively at military targets - specifically, the equipment used in strikes against Ukraine. Russia suffered truly significant losses - entirely justified and deserved. I thank the Security Service, General Maliuk personally, as well as everyone who was involved in the operation. The preparation took over a year and a half. Planning, organization, and every detail was perfectly executed. I can say with certainty that this is an absolutely unique operation." "What's most interesting - and this can now be stated publicly - is that the "office" of our operation on Russian territory was located directly next to FSB headquarters in one of their regions. In total, 117 drones were used in the operation - with a corresponding number of drone operators involved. 34% of the strategic cruise missile carriers stationed at air bases were hit. Our personnel operated across multiple Russian regions - in three different time zones. And the people who assisted us were withdrawn from Russian territory before the operation, they are now safe. It is 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," he added. He said that Ukraine's intelligence, before the operation, indicated that Russia was preparing another massive strike. He urged people not to ignore the air raid alerts. "Even before this operation was carried out, we had intelligence indicating that Russia was preparing another massive strike. And it is very important for all our people not to ignore the air raid alerts. Last night, there were nearly 500 Russian drones, attack drones. Each week, they have been increasing the number of units used per strike. Now, they have also prepared Kalibr missiles launched from naval carriers. We know exactly who we are dealing with. And we will defend ourselves by all means available to us - to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. Not for a single second did we want this war," he said. The President said that Ukraine offered a ceasefire to Russia. However, he said that Russia continues to choose the war, even though the US proposal for a full and unconditional ceasefire has been on the table since March 11. He urged international community to pressurise Russia through diplomacy and sanctions. "We offered the Russians a ceasefire. Since March 11, the U.S. proposal for a full and unconditional ceasefire has been on the table. It was the Russians who chose to continue the war - even under conditions where the entire world is calling for an end to the killing. And pressure is truly needed - pressure on Russia that should bring it back to reality. Pressure through sanctions. Pressure from our forces. Pressure through diplomacy. All of it must work together," he said. According to the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU), Ukraine has conducted large-scale drone strikes against several air bases deep inside Russia, destroying multiple combat planes. The operation, named "Spiderweb," comes a day ahead of the peace talks scheduled to be held between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul. The operation conducted by Ukraine involved the most ambitious simultaneous strikes on Russian air bases since the war started in 2022. According to an SBU source, over 40 aircraft were known to have been hit, including TU-95 and Tu-22M3 strategic bombers and one of Russia's few remaining A-50 surveillance planes, CNN reported. According to the SBU, the operation caused an estimated damage of USD 7 billion and targeted 34 per cent of Russia's strategic cruise missile carriers at its main air bases. The airfields targeted included Belaya in Irkutsk, some 4,500 kilometres from Ukraine's border with Russia, and the Dyagilevo base in Ryazan in western Russia, about 520 kilometres from Ukraine. According to the source, the Olenya base near Murmansk in the Arctic Circle was also hit, and the Ivanovo air base was also struck, CNN reported. Ukrainian operation comes as the two warring nations are set to return to peace negotiations on Monday. The talks, which are set to take place in Istanbul, are facing uncertainty, CNN reported. US President Donald Trump has expressed frustration with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for stalling efforts to advance the peace talks. Earlier this month, Putin proposed holding "direct talks" in Turkiye, however, he never showed up, despite Zelenskyy expressing willingness to meet. Later, the two nations sent low-level delegations to hold talks. A framework from the Ukrainian delegation includes key principles for the negotiations that include a full and unconditional ceasefire, an exchange of prisoners, and the release of hostages and return of abducted children, according to CNN report.
Times of Oman
3 days ago
- Politics
- Times of Oman
Ukraine conducts coordinated drone assault on Russian airfields, inflicts heavy losses
Moscow : The Russian Defence Ministry accused the Kiev regime of launching coordinated terrorist attacks using FPV (First-Person View) drones against multiple airfields across Russia, including those in the Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur regions. According to a statement issued by the Russian Defence Ministry, all attacks on military airfields in Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur regions were successfully repelled without major damage. However, in Murmansk and Irkutsk regions, drones launched from areas in close proximity to airfields reportedly caused several aircraft to catch fire. The fires were brought under control, and there were no casualties among either military or civilian personnel. The ministry added that some participants in the attacks had been detained. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday claimed that Ukrainian armed forces had conducted a "brilliant operation" aimed "exclusively at military targets" inside Russian territory, resulting in what he termed as "justified and deserved" losses for Russia. In his national address, Zelenskyy thanked Ukraine's Security Service and everyone involved in the operation, stating that 117 drones were used. He revealed that the operation took more than a year and a half to prepare, with planning, organisation, and execution described as flawless. "Just now, I received a report from Head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Vasyl Maliuk -- a brilliant operation was carried out. It took place on enemy territory and was aimed exclusively at military targets -- specifically, the equipment used in strikes against Ukraine," he said. "Russia suffered truly significant losses -- entirely justified and deserved." He further disclosed that the command office for the operation was located next to an FSB headquarters in one of the Russian regions. According to him, 34% of Russia's strategic cruise missile carriers stationed at air bases were hit, with Ukrainian personnel operating across multiple Russian regions and time zones. He also said that all operatives were safely withdrawn from Russian territory before the operation. "It is 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," he added. Zelenskyy noted that prior to the operation, Ukrainian intelligence had information suggesting that Russia was preparing a massive strike. He urged citizens to heed air raid warnings, citing nearly 500 Russian attack drones launched recently and a fresh wave of Kalibr missile strikes from naval carriers. The President also reiterated Ukraine's willingness to end the conflict through dialogue, stating that the U.S. proposal for a full and unconditional ceasefire has been on the table since March 11. "We offered the Russians a ceasefire... It was the Russians who chose to continue the war," he said, calling on the international community to increase pressure on Moscow through sanctions, diplomacy, and force. According to Ukraine's Security Service (SBU), the operation -- code-named "Spiderweb" -- marked the most ambitious series of drone strikes on Russian air bases since the war began in 2022. An SBU source claimed that over 40 aircraft were hit, including Tu-95 and Tu-22M3 strategic bombers, and one of Russia's few remaining A-50 surveillance planes, CNN reported.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Ukraine says it hit more than 40 Russian bombers in drone attack
The Security Service of Ukraine oversaw a drone operation on Sunday that struck dozens of Russia's strategic bombers just ahead of planned peace talks in Istanbul. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the 'absolutely brilliant' outcome of the attack, which he described as 'our most long-range operation' to date. Zelensky said the attack had been in planning for more than one and a half years. 'Of course, not everything can be revealed at this moment, but these are Ukrainian actions that will undoubtedly be in history books,' Zelensky said Sunday in a post on the social platform X. 'Ukraine is defending itself, and rightly so — we are doing everything to make Russia feel the need to end this war. Russia started this war, Russia must end it. Glory to Ukraine!' he continued. A military official told The Associated Press that the drones hit 41 planes stationed at military airfields on Sunday afternoon, including A-50, Tu-95 and Tu-22M aircraft. Moscow has previously used Tupolev Tu-95 and Tu-22 long-range bombers to launch missiles at Ukraine, while A-50s are used to coordinate targets and detect air defenses and guided missiles. The military source told the AP that the complex attack included the smuggling of first-person view drones into Russia, where they were then placed in mobile wooden houses. 'Later, drones were hidden under the roofs of these houses while already placed on trucks. At the right moment, the roofs of the houses were remotely opened, and the drones flew to hit Russian bombers,' the official told the AP, speaking on condition of anonymity to disclose details of the military operation. Zelensky said the Ukrainian officials involved in planning the operation were withdrawn from Russia with enough time to spare. The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed the attack in a social media post but said the attacks only caught fire in the regions of Murmansk and Irkutsk, according to a Google translation of the statement. Russia said the fires had been put out with no casualties among service members or civilians. Russia also said it had detained 'some participants' of the attack. The Associated Press contributed. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Ukraine says it has hit over 40 Russian strategic bombers in mass drone attack
A statement from Ukraine's security service SBU published in the afternoon stated: 'enemy strategic bombers are burning en masse in Russia', adding that Ukraine is conducting 'a large scale special operation aimed at destroying enemy bomber aircraft.' According to the SBU, more than 40 aircraft have been hit. Videos widely shared on social media show what appears to be a row of heavy bomber aircraft on fire at an undisclosed location. According to the Ukrainian media outlets which reported the strikes, the operation, dubbed "Spiderweb" (Pavutyna), which took a year and a half to prepare, targeted four airfields: Dyagilevo in Riazan region, Ivanovo in Ivanovo region, Belaya air base in Russia's Irkutsk region, which is located in south-eastern Siberia over 4,000km east of the frontline, and Olenya air base in Russia's Murmansk region, around 2,000km away from Ukraine's border. Apparently, the operation included the clandestine smuggling of drones deep into Russian territory, hiding them and finally launching them remotely. In March, Ukraine announced it had developed a new type of drone that can reach a range of up to 3,000 kilometres, but gave no details about its type or the size of its warhead. Recent satellite images show various Russian strategic bombers at the four bases that were allegedly hit during the operation, including Tu-95, Tu-22M3, Tu-160 and A-50. Tu-95, Tu-22 and Tu-160 are Russian heavy bombers regularly used by Moscow to launch missiles at Ukraine. The Tu-22M3 is capable of carrying Kh-22 and Kh-32 cruise missiles, travelling at a speed of 4,000 km/h, exceeding Mach 4. Tu-95 - the oldest among them - it is a Soviet-era plane, originally used to carry nuclear bombs but since modified to launch cruise missiles. A-50 is radar detection aircraft, which can detect air defense systems, guided missiles, and coordinate targets for Russian fighter jets. Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier said he was meeting with the Ministries of Defence and Foreign Affairs, as well as the General Staff and SBU. "We are doing everything to protect our independence, our state, and our people," Zelenskyy said, adding that would be outlining "tasks for the near term" and "define our positions ahead of the meeting in Istanbul on Monday." Ukrainian and Russian officials are schedule to meet in Istanbul on Monday 2 June for the second round of talks between the two sides. Zelenskyy said Kyiv's utmost priority is unconditional ceasefire, followed by the release of prisoners and the return of Ukrainian children that were forcefully deported by Russia.
