On June 1, 2025, Ukraine launched a daring and massive drone attack, code-named “Operation Spiderweb,” targeting four Russian military airbases deep within enemy territory. The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) led this ambitious strike, aiming to cripple Russia’s ability to bomb Ukrainian cities. The operation, one of the most complex of the war, destroyed over 40 aircraft, including strategic bombers like the TU-95 and Tu-22M3, and a rare A-50 surveillance plane, causing an estimated $7 billion in damages.
A Clever and Cunning Plan
The SBU pulled off this feat by smuggling drones into Russia inside wooden “mobile homes” loaded onto trucks. At the perfect moment, the roofs of these cabins opened remotely, releasing swarms of drones to strike airbases in Belaya (Irkutsk), Olenya (near Murmansk), Dyagilevo (Ryazan), and Ivanovo—some as far as 4,500 kilometers from Ukraine’s border. Videos showed flames and smoke rising from the Belaya airfield, with the SBU’s head, Lt. Gen. Vasyl Malyuk, reportedly calling the sight “beautiful.” The SBU stated, “We are doing everything to drive the enemy from our native land! We will strike them at sea, in the air, and on land.”
Russia’s Response and Rising Tensions
Russia’s Ministry of Defense called the strikes “terrorist attacks,” admitting that several aircraft caught fire in Murmansk and Irkutsk, though they claimed attacks in other regions were repelled. No casualties were reported, and some alleged attackers were detained, according to Moscow. This bold move comes just before peace talks in Istanbul, raising questions about its impact. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed the operation as “an absolutely brilliant result” that “will undoubtedly be in the history books,” noting it was planned for over 18 months.
Chaos on the Ground
Meanwhile, two bridges collapsed in Russia’s Bryansk and Kursk regions, border areas near Ukraine. In Bryansk, a train derailment killed at least seven people and injured 66 after an alleged explosion. Russian officials blamed Ukraine, but Ukrainian voices, like Andriy Kovalenko from Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, denied this, suggesting Russia might be trying to sabotage the upcoming talks. Ukraine has a history of targeting Russian railways to disrupt military supplies, and strikes in border regions like Bryansk and Kursk are not new.
A War in the Skies
Russia didn’t sit still, launching 479 drones and missiles at Ukraine overnight—one of the biggest aerial attacks of the three-year war. Ukraine’s air force shot down 385 of them, but damage was reported in 18 locations. A Russian missile also hit a Ukrainian military training site, killing 12 and injuring 60. As both sides trade blows, Operation Spiderweb shows Ukraine’s resolve to fight back, even as peace talks loom. Will this historic strike shift the war’s course, or will it fuel more chaos? Only time will tell.