Ukrainian drones strike deep inside Russia: over 40 military planes destroyed in unprecedented operation
On Sunday, June 1, Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) launched a significant drone attack on four military airfields inside Russian territory. The attack targeted airbases "Belaya" in the Irkutsk region (around 4,700 km from Ukraine), "Olenya" in Murmansk (approximately 2,000 km away), "Ivanovo" in Ivanovo (900 km distance), and "Dyagilevo" in Ryazan (700 km away), reports Suspilne Suspilne, citing its sources in SBU.
Andrii Kovalenko, the Head of the Center for Countering Disinformation under Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, stated that these airfields were used by Russian forces to prepare new attacks against Ukraine.
According to media reports, the SBU is conducting a special operation named "Spider Web" aimed at destroying Russian bomber aircraft, reportedly impacting over 40 planes, including the Tu-22 M3, A-50, and Tu-95 models.
Russian Telegram channels relayed accounts from residents of Olenegorsk, where the Olenya airfield is located, reporting explosions and fires.
Telegram channel Baza claims, "The city was attacked by drones that launched from a truck parked near the local gas station." Additionally, explosions were reported by locals in the settlement of Sredny in the Irkutsk region. According to eyewitnesses quoted by SHOT, drones allegedly took flight from a truck stationed on a highway.
The Russian Telegram channel Rybar reported, "The attack was conducted using FPV drones launched from trucks that approached the sites, with control managed through relays connected via satellite communication." The channel noted that strategic airplanes like the Tu-95 and Tu-22 have been out of production for years, highlighting the irreparable nature of the damage.
"This undeniably represents severe damage to our strategic combat capabilities—a result of both significant lapses in the security services and disregard for aircraft continued to be exposed in open fields without shelter," the post concludes.
The governor of the Irkutsk region confirmed that this marks the first drone attack in Siberia, over 4,300 km from the Ukrainian border. Defense Express's chief editor, Oleksiy Katkov, previously noted that Russia had relocated a significant number of strategic bombers to the "Olenya" airfield in Murmansk to shield them from renewed Ukrainian strikes.