Operation Spiderweb: New SBU video shows drone strikes on Russian A-50 aircraft

Three days after Ukraine launched its most ambitious long-range drone strike operation to date, a clearer picture is emerging of the damage inflicted on Russian strategic aviation assets.  

Codenamed Operation Spiderweb (Pautyna), the mission targeted four military airfields across Russia with over 100 drones, striking aircraft thousands of kilometers from the front line. 

Satellite imagery, OSINT analysis, and newly released video footage now offer a provisional assessment of what was destroyed or damaged on the ground. 

Ivanovo Airbase (Ivanovo Oblast) 

While satellite confirmation is pending, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has released drone footage confirming strikes on two Russian A-50 airborne early warning and control aircraft at Ivanovo Severny Airbase during Operation Spider Web. The video shows drones targeting the radar domes of the aircraft. The extent of the damage is unclear, but the A-50 is a critical and limited component of Russia’s airborne command and control network. 

Olenya Airbase (Murmansk Oblast) 

New satellite images confirm the destruction of four Tu-95MS Bear strategic bombers and one An-12 Cub transport aircraft. The Olenya base, located over 2,000 kilometers from Ukrainian territory, houses key assets used in cruise missile attacks on Ukraine. 

High-resolution satellite images of Olenya Airbase as of June 3, 10:00 UTCThis is a follow up to our previous post on Olenya Air Base. 4 Tu-95MSs (Bear-H) and 1 An-12 (Cub) can be seen clearly destroyed into pieces.Also, the airbase housed 1 Il-76 (Candid), 3 An-12… pic.twitter.com/Sy6zJAET1F— AviVector (@avivector) June 4, 2025

Belaya Airbase (Irkutsk Oblast) 

Belaya appears to have suffered the heaviest losses. Satellite analysis suggests that at least seven bombers were destroyed, three Tu-95s and four Tu-22M3s. One additional Tu-95 may also be damaged. This airbase lies over 4,000 kilometers from Ukraine, making the strike one of the deepest confirmed Ukrainian attacks inside Russian territory. 

Зокрема супутник зафіксував пошкодження щонайменше семи стратегічних бомбардувальників. Це – три Ту-95 та чотири Ту-22. На знімках можна помітити й наслідки пожеж. pic.twitter.com/OU0qGgD47s— Схеми (@cxemu) June 4, 2025

Dyagilevo Airbase (Ryazan Oblast) 

Newly released footage from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) also shows drones striking several Tu-22M3 bombers at Dyagilevo Airbase, previously thought to have escaped damage. While the video confirms direct hits on the aircraft, satellite imagery as of June 4, 2025, has not revealed any clearly destroyed airframes at the site. As such, the extent of the damage at Dyagilevo remains uncertain. 

Strategic impact 

The Tu-95, Tu-22M3, and A-50 are all aircraft types no longer in production. Losses of these platforms represent long-term degradation to Russia’s strategic bombing and surveillance capabilities. The A-50, in particular, is considered Russia’s equivalent of NATO’s E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft. As of 2025, the Russian Air Force was believed to operate just 13 A-50s, two of which had already been lost to previous Ukrainian strikes. 

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has released footage showing several of the container trucks used Sunday during the large-scale drone attack against airbases inside Russia, dubbed Operation Spiderweb. The containers were disguised to look like prefabricated homes from the… pic.twitter.com/O1mvpyv8ef— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) June 4, 2025 The post Operation Spiderweb: New SBU video shows drone strikes on Russian A-50 aircraft appeared first on AeroTime.

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