Militarnyi reported that following Ukraine’s operation Spiderweb that targeted Russian strategic bombers at five bases, Russia was forced to redeploy key elements of its strategic aviation fleet to airbases in the Far East, complicating its ability to launch missile strikes on Ukrainian territory.

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According to OSINT sources, including the Tracking Telegram channel, two Tu-160 bombers previously based at Belaya airbase were relocated to the Anadyr airfield. An additional five Tu-160s were moved to Yelizovo airbase. These facilities are located 6,770 km and 7,250 km from Ukraine respectively.

Meanwhile, Tu-22M3 bombers based at Olenya are periodically transferred to Sovetsky airfield in the Komi Republic, approximately 2,400 km from Ukrainian borders. Tu-95MS aircraft now operate between Olenya, Engels-2, and Ukrainka airbases.

For launching Kh-101 cruise missiles, Tu-95MS bombers stationed at Ukrainka must fly at least 7,000 km to reach launch areas near Saratov Oblast, and then return another 5,400 km. This creates a 12,400 km mission round trip, lasting up to 23 hours in the air.

Operational impact and aviation strain

Russia’s dispersal of its strategic bombers aims to reduce vulnerability by spreading aircraft across remote airbases. However, this has introduced significant complications, including excessive flight time, accelerated wear of aging airframes, heightened crew fatigue, and increased maintenance costs, Militarnyi notes. The added distance also increases the likelihood of technical failure or human error, raising the risk of crashes.

The strain on Russian aviation logistics could in the long run reduce the frequency of air-launched cruise missile strikes on Ukraine.

SBU’s Operation Pavutyna

On 1 June 2025, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) launched Operation Pavutyna (“Spiderweb”), a large-scale special operation targeting Russia’s strategic bombers. The targets included Belaya, Ivanovo, Ukrainka, Olenya, and Dyagilevo airbases.

Militarnyi says preliminary assessments indicate that at least 8 Tu-95MS (or Tu-95MSM), 12 Tu-22M3, 2 A-50 early warning aircraft, 1 An-12 transport plane, and possibly 1 Il-78M tanker were hit by Ukrainian drone strikes.

Russia’s Tu-160 bomber use in missile attack last night proves Tu-95 shortage after operation Spiderweb, Militarnyi says

Though a full set of satellite images has not yet been published. Notably, the strike on one Tu-95MS seen in satellite imagery is not included in the videos.

“In addition, the video footage released by the SBU is incomplete: it does not show the damage to one of the Tu-95MS aircraft, which is visible in satellite images,” Militarnyi wrote.

Ukraine has resumed targeting Russian fuel infrastructure after a months-long pause, hitting the Engels oil depot used by strategic bombers, involved in last night’s deadly missile strikes against Ukraine, while drone attacks continued across other military airfields and industrial defense sites in at least six Russian oblasts overnight on 6 June.

Engels fuel depot set ablaze again as Ukraine resumes strikes on oil facilities

Overnight on 6 June, Ukrainian forces launched a drone attack on the Kristall oil depot in the city of Engels, Saratov Oblast, situated more than 600 km from Ukraine. The site supplies fuel to the Engels-2 air base, home to Tu-95 and Tu-160 strategic bombers used by Russia to fire cruise missiles on Ukraine.

The attack triggered a massive fire. Telegram channels, including Russian Astra and Ukrainian sources, published videos showing at least three fuel tanks on fire, with large flames and thick smoke rising from the site.

According to Astra, the strike was carried out using drones and caused a fire at the industrial fuel storage facility. NASA’s FIRMS wildfire detection satellites identified thermal anomalies at the facility.

Saratov Oblast Governor Roman Busargin confirmed a fire had broken out at “one of the industrial enterprises in Engels” following a drone strike but did not identify the specific site. Social media users shared additional footage showing the scale of the blaze.

The Engels depot itself had previously been targeted twice in January 2025.

• The first attack, on 8 January, destroyed three fuel tanks of 120,000 cubic meters each and damaged six more, resulting in the loss of an estimated 800,000 tons of fuel.
• A second drone strike occurred on 14 January, while the fire from the first attack was still burning. 

UK intel: Ukraine’s Engels-2 airbase strike marks 2025’s most successful ammo depot attack yet

Explosions and fires at multiple Russian airbases and military areas

Explosions and fires were reported overnight across various Russian locations hosting airfields or military infrastructure, though specific confirmed damage varied by site.

• Bryansk Oblast: Explosions were heard near the airport in Bryansk around midnight. Videos shared on social media captured a large blast, similar to an explosion of surface-to-air missiles, and of secondary blasts following the initial impacts. Astra reported the area was targeted by Ukraine’s defense forces.

• Ryazan Oblast: Local residents reported drone activity and fires in the Dyagilevo district, home to the Dyagilevo air base. A separate fire was also reported in the vicinity of the village of Podvyazye after what was described as a drone attack.

• Tambov Oblast: Telegram channel Supernova+ shared footage from Michurinsk and reported that drones struck the Progress plant there, which manufactures equipment for aircraft and missile control systems, as well as for gas and oil pipeline infrastructure. According to Exilenova, the strike hit the central workshop, leading to a roof collapse. Images showed fire damage and signs of electronic warfare systems operating at the time of the strike.

• Moscow Oblast: Readers of Astra from Naro-Fominsk reported explosions. Russia’s aviation authority Rosaviatsia imposed temporary flight restrictions at Domodedovo and Zhukovsky (Ramenskoye) airports “to ensure civilian flight safety.” Those restrictions were later lifted. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated that six drones targeting the Russian capital were destroyed. He later claimed that an additional three drones aimed at the Moscow region were also intercepted.

• Kaluga Oblast: The oblast’s governor stated that five drones were shot down near the border of Obninsk and Borovsky Raion. One drone’s debris fell on a roadway, damaging four vehicles. No serious injuries were reported among the passengers.

Unconfirmed rail sabotage: train derailment in Belgorod 

In Belgorod Oblast, a reserve locomotive derailed in Prokhorovsky Raion. Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov claimed the likely cause was the detonation of an explosive device planted under the tracks. No casualties occurred. Train traffic was delayed by approximately 2.5 hours, but all services have since resumed. Track repair work began shortly after the incident. There is no confirmation that this was not an incident.