Ukraine Hits Russian Airbases in Largest Long-Range Drone Strike

Photo : Reuters

Ukraine launched a powerful drone attack on Sunday that hit five major Russian military airbases, far from the front lines. The operation, named Spider’s Web, was planned in secret by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) and is being described as the most far-reaching strike since the war began more than three years ago. According to Ukraine, 41 aircraft were damaged or destroyed in the attack, including long-range bombers like the Tu-95 and Tu-22, and the A-50 radar aircraft used to coordinate air attacks.

Russia confirmed that airbases in Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur were targeted by small drones known as FPVs, which are guided by remote control. While Russia claimed to have successfully defended some of the airfields, it admitted that several aircraft at bases in Murmansk and Irkutsk caught fire. Officials said the fires were put out quickly and that there were no injuries. Russian authorities also said they had arrested a few people involved in the attacks, including a truck driver linked to one of the drone launches.

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What made this attack different was the way it was carried out. President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that the mission had been in planning for over a year and a half. Ukrainian forces had managed to sneak drones into Russia in advance. These drones were hidden under the roofs of wooden cabins mounted on trucks. The cabin roofs were designed to open remotely, allowing the drones to launch straight into the air toward nearby military targets without being detected.

Photos shared by Ukrainian officials show black drones packed inside transport containers. This method allowed the drones to be close to the targets already, rather than flying across long distances from Ukraine. Russia also confirmed that the drones were launched from areas close to the airbases, not from Ukrainian territory.

Some of the airbases that were attacked, such as Belaya in Irkutsk and Olenya in Murmansk, are located thousands of kilometres away from Ukraine. Belaya is around 4,300 km from the Ukrainian border, while Olenya is about 2,000 km from the front lines. Videos that appeared online showed Russian aircraft on fire and thick smoke rising above the runways after the strikes.

Ukraine’s SBU claimed that the damage caused by the operation was worth around $7 billion, though Russia has not confirmed this figure. According to the Ukrainian side, the drones damaged more than a third of Russia’s aircraft capable of carrying cruise missiles. The SBU believes this attack will weaken Russia’s ability to bomb Ukrainian cities going forward.

Russian officials confirmed some aircraft were hit but didn’t go into detail about the number or cost. They also said they arrested suspects involved in the drone launches. On the other hand, Zelensky said those who helped carry out the operation were safely removed from Russian territory before the drones were sent into the air.

This major attack happened at a sensitive time in the war. President Zelensky announced that Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov would be heading to Istanbul on Monday for talks with Russian officials. Turkey is hosting the meeting, which has been encouraged by former US President Donald Trump, who wants to see the war come to an end.

Zelensky said Ukraine’s goal for the meeting is to achieve a full ceasefire, bring home prisoners of war, and secure the return of Ukrainian children taken during the conflict. However, Russia has rejected earlier ceasefire offers and has refused to share the details of its peace plan in advance. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also spoke over the phone on Sunday to discuss possible solutions to end the war.

The drone strike shows that Ukraine is still capable of launching powerful and well-planned attacks deep into Russian territory. As both countries prepare for high-level talks, the war continues to rage, and peace remains uncertain.