Unpacking Ukraines Operation Spiders Web: Drone Footage Reveals Major Strikes on Russian Aircraft

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has published a four-minute video capturing the drone strikes from Sunday’s Operation Spider’s Web, which reportedly targeted and inflicted damage on aircraft located over 4,000 kilometers from Ukraine.

The SBU claims that 41 military aircraft, worth over $7 billion, were destroyed; however, this information has not been independently verified. Nonetheless, the footage raises questions about Russia’s account of events and highlights the extensive nature of Ukraine’s operation, which involved more than 100 low-cost drones that were smuggled into the country and deployed from modified shipping containers.

On the day of the strikes, Russia’s Defense Ministry downplayed the extent of the damage, asserting that it had successfully repelled three out of five attacks. While Ukraine acknowledged the unsuccessful attempt at the Ukrainka base in the Far East Amur region, the video released on Wednesday indicates that Ukrainian drones reached four other airbases.

The Moscow Times has analyzed the footage and identified the aircraft that were targeted, showcasing images of burning jets at two separate sites and Ukrainian drones approaching the most vulnerable areas of these planes.

The footage does not clarify the number of aircraft impacted, nor does it provide insights into their operational status or condition.

A report from May 2025 indicated that an airfield near Russia’s borders with Finland and Iceland was housing 11 Tu-95 bombers, some of which had been relocated from the Engels-2 air base in the Saratov region after Ukraine’s air attacks.

These large bombers, designed during the Soviet era for nuclear deployment, are currently outfitted with up to 16 cruise missiles targeted at Ukrainian cities.

Ukrainian drones specifically aimed for the wings of the Tu-95s, identified as the aircraft’s most vulnerable point. Since Russia no longer manufactures these bombers, replacing them presents a significant challenge.

Additionally, the footage displayed the Tu-22M3 bombers being struck at their fuselage, the weakest part of the aircraft. An An-12 cargo plane was also targeted.

Many aircraft at Russian air bases have their wings shielded with tires. This is not meant to protect them from incoming drones but to confuse AI-targeting systems, making it difficult to identify the planes, as explained by Schyler Moore, the Chief Technology Officer at U.S. Central Command.

Two segments of the footage show drones landing on the mushroom-shaped radar domes of two A-50s positioned side by side before the feeds are interrupted. One of the planes was covered in tires, while the other seemed to have sandbags. There is no footage confirming the condition of these aircraft afterward.

The 9-meter-wide domes house powerful radar systems that detect incoming threats from Ukrainian missiles and aircraft. The A-50s are crucial for identifying targets and coordinating Russia’s air forces.

The Moscow Times was unable to independently verify whether these A-50s were operational.

If they were, Ukrainian strikes would significantly damage Russia’s capabilities as they have a limited number of A-50s available. In February 2024, Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the Ukrainian army’s intelligence, stated that Moscow only possessed six of these $350 million planes, with two having been shot down by Ukraine in earlier months.

The Dyagilevo airbase functions as a training and aircraft repair facility. According to the U.S.-based think tank CSIS, the SBU intentionally aimed at these installations to disrupt Russia’s logistics and crew readiness, which could have a longer-lasting effect on the country’s air force capabilities beyond merely destroying aircraft.

High-resolution satellite images analyzed by The War Zone on Monday did not reveal evident damage to the aircraft at the base, although it is challenging to assess shrapnel damage from such images.

However, the images do indicate signs of burnt grass, corroborated by the SBU footage, which displayed plumes of grey smoke, suggestive of drone strikes.

Screenshots of Tu-22M3 jets also revealed evidence of charred grass, likely caused by Ukrainian quadcopter drones. Russia has ceased production of these jets, which can carry up to 16 Kh-22 missiles capable of reaching speeds of 4,000 km/h.

The strike on the Belaya airbase, situated north of Irkutsk, was the farthest reach achieved by this operation.

Open-source video from the day of the incident, as well as the SBU footage, captured thick smoke rising from damaged aircraft.

Belaya is home to the 220th Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment, with several Tu-22M3 bombers visible in the video. The base also hosts an unspecified number of Tu-95 bombers.

Analysts believe that the losses inflicted upon Russia by Operation Spider’s Web won’t significantly alter the dynamics at the front lines, where Russia has been gradually advancing against Ukrainian defenses. However, these losses do impact Russia’s capacity for long-range missile attacks on Ukrainian cities and convey the message that no area in Russia is immune to danger.

On Sunday, Katarzyna Zysk, an international relations and contemporary history professor at the Norwegian Defense Academy, remarked to The Moscow Times that «The successful targeting of such high-value assets sends a potent message regarding Ukraine’s ability to impose costs on Russia. Striking deep within Russian territory undermines the perceived military invulnerability of Russia and the Kremlin’s control.»

«Russia has sought to develop a new generation of strategic bombers over the last 15 years, but these initiatives have faced repeated postponements. Consequently, Moscow has concentrated on upgrading its aging fleet, which has now been severely affected by Ukraine’s effective attacks,» she added.