In a covert operation named "Spider’s Web," Ukraine struck five Russian military airbases in its longest-range drone attack since the 2022 invasion began. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and sources within Ukraine's Security Service (SBU), the mission took over 18 months to plan and was executed using 117 first-person-view (FPV) drones. Uniquely, drones were hidden in modified wooden cabins mounted on trucks that were smuggled deep into Russian territory. At the designated time, these cabins were remotely opened, allowing the drones to launch from close proximity to the airbases.
The targeted airfields were located in Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur regions some more than 4,000 kilometers from Ukraine's borders. Russia confirmed that several of its aircraft, including Tu-95 and Tu-22 strategic bombers and A-50 radar planes, were damaged or caught fire at the Murmansk and Irkutsk sites. Ukraine claims the attacks destroyed 34 percent of Russia’s cruise missile carriers, with estimated damage amounting to $7 billion.
Russia's Ministry of Defense acknowledged the unusual proximity of the drone launches, stating they were not launched from Ukraine but from within Russian territory. Several suspects, including a truck driver, were detained. While Moscow claims the attacks on Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur were repelled, visual evidence of damage circulated online. Despite no reported casualties, the damage to military assets has raised serious concerns within the Kremlin.
Zelensky confirmed that those involved in staging the operation had been safely evacuated from Russia. The timing of the operation coincides with scheduled peace talks in Istanbul, led by Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. The talks, hosted by Turkey and encouraged by US President Donald Trump, aim to secure a ceasefire and the return of abducted individuals. However, Russia has kept its peace terms undisclosed, leaving uncertainty surrounding the outcome. As diplomacy and warfare collide, Ukraine’s strategic drone tactics signal a new chapter in the ongoing conflict.
