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Ukraine has claimed responsibility for a dramatic long-distance drone offensive targeting Russian military airbases on Sunday in what President Volodymyr Zelensky described as the country’s most far-reaching strike since the war began. The operation, codenamed “Spider’s Web”, reportedly took over a year and a half to plan and involved smuggling drones into Russia itself.
Ukrainian security services said the attack was aimed at airbases located thousands of kilometres from the front lines, notably in Murmansk and Irkutsk in the Russian Arctic and Siberia. While the full extent of the damage remains unverified, Ukraine’s SBU intelligence agency claimed that 41 aircraft were hit, including Tu-95 and Tu-22 bombers, as well as A-50 surveillance planes—aircraft that Kyiv says have been used to launch missile strikes on Ukrainian cities.
Russia’s defence ministry acknowledged that several aircraft caught fire during the strikes, adding that the resulting blazes were brought under control and that no casualties occurred. The ministry confirmed that the drones were launched from areas close to the airbases, not from Ukrainian soil, and said suspects had been detained.
Ukraine estimates that it destroyed over a third of Russia’s cruise missile-carrying bombers, inflicting losses valued at approximately $7 billion.
The “Spider’s Web” plan saw drones concealed in wooden structures on trucks smuggled deep into Russian territory. These concealed units had remotely operated roofs that opened to allow drones to launch, according to SBU officials. Images shared by Ukraine showed the drones hidden in what appeared to be modified transport containers.
The attack deployed 117 drones, hitting targets as far as 4,300 kilometres away, including bases at Olenya and Belaya. Ukraine has typically targeted locations closer to its borders, making this assault a major escalation in terms of operational range and ambition.
Although the long-term impact on Russia’s military capabilities remains unclear, the psychological and strategic message is significant. Russian military bloggers described the assault as a “black day for aviation”, and the pro-military Rybar Telegram channel called it a “very heavy blow”, blaming lapses in Russian intelligence.
With Ukraine’s forces facing increasing pressure on the front lines and struggling under a barrage of Russian air attacks, the drone strikes have provided a much-needed morale boost. Former President Petro Poroshenko said the operation presented Ukraine with its strongest argument ahead of upcoming ceasefire talks with Russia in Istanbul.
