At least two A-50 Russian surveillance aircraft were damaged in Ukraine's June 1 drone strike inside Russia, the Telegraph reported on June 3, citing footage viewed by the publication.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) executed Operation Spiderweb on June 1, targeting four key air bases and destroying around 40 heavy bombers by smuggling trucks of first-person-view (FPV) drones deep inside Russia.

Footage shared with the Telegraph reportedly shows Ukrainian drones hitting two A-50s, rare Russian spy planes that Moscow relies on for several critical functions in its full-scale war against Ukraine.

Drones struck the radar domes of two A-50 aircraft, according to the Telegraph. One plane appeared to be protected by sandbags along its wings, while the other had tires arranged across its airframe.

Open source satellite images from May 2 appear show two A-50s stationed at the Ivanovo air base in Russia's Ivanovo Oblast, one of the airfields targeted in Operation Spiderweb. The footage shared with the Telegraph makes it clear that these are the same A-50s damaged in the June 1 attack.  

The video also reportedly shows several Tupolev bombers in flames after sustaining direct hits from Ukrainian drones.

An SBU source told the Kyiv Independent on June 1 that A-50s were among the aircraft hit in the attack, but the claim could not be verified at the time.

Russia's A-50s detect air defense systems, guide missiles, and coordinate targets for Russian fighter jets. The aircraft carry an estimated price tag of around $350 million.

They are also extremely rare: Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR), said in February 2024 that Moscow only had six A-50s in its arsenal.

Ukraine previously shot down two A-50s in January and February 2024.

Kyiv's audacious drone strike deep within Russia took 18 months of planning and dealt a major blow to Russia's fleet of bombers — only days after Moscow launched a series of record-breaking mass aerial attacks against Ukraine.

The SBU reported that the operation caused approximately $7 billion in damages and disabled 34% of cruise missile carriers in key Russian airbases.

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These aircraft rained death on Ukrainian cities — now they’re burning on their own airfields. On 1 June, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) carried out a stunning special operation dubbed “Spiderweb,” destroying or disabling at least 41 Russian aircraft involved in massive airstrikes against Ukraine.

“There are aircraft that were burned, and others damaged beyond repair. For a long time, they won’t be able to carry out terrorist acts,” said Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat.

Since 2022, the Russians have launched 2,437 Kh-101, Kh-555, and Kh-55 cruise missiles from these bombers, of which 1,916 were intercepted. However, more than 500 reached their targets.

“Russia also used Tu-22M3 bombers with Kh-22 and Kh-32 missiles. The Kh-22 is known as an ‘aircraft carrier killer’… the enemy used them to strike major cities. There were many casualties,” Ihnat adds. 

Russia has also launched over 400 Kh-22 missiles, and only a few were intercepted by air defenses. The missile carries a warhead weighing over 900 kg and is among the most powerful in Russia’s arsenal.

For instance, in 2025, Russia killed 14 civilians, including two children, with such missiles, demolishing a five-storey residential building in Poltava. No military targets were located in the area. 

In 2024, a missile of the same type broke a huge hole in the residential building in Dnipro, ruining a driveway and killing almost every civilian in it. 

Ukraine’s air defense downed 25 out of 38 Russian missiles during massive attack

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked SBU Chief Vasyl Maliuk for the operation’s results. He noted that the SBU’s operational office in Russian territory was located right next to a regional FSB headquarters. In total, 117 drones were used in the operation.

Chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk, has called Ukraine’s unique special operation targeting Russian airfields “a modern version of the Budapest Memorandum.”

“Meticulous work. Impressive results,” Ruslan Stefanchuk writes on social media, assessing the scale of the Web operation on Russian territory.

Thanks to President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Head of the Security Service of Ukraine Vasyl Maliuk, and everyone involved in this operation for ensuring the non-nuclear status of the aggressor state, Stefanchuk adds.

He emphasizes that for those fighting for their land, no goals are too distant.

On 1 June, the Security Service of Ukraine and Defense Intelligence conducted the unprecedented “Web” operation, during which FPV-drones were brought to Russia in trucks and released from them to target four Russian airfields: Byelaya, Dyagilevo, Olenya, and Ivanovo.

As a result, over 40 Russian aircraft were damaged, including the A-50 reconnaissance plane and strategic bombers Tu-95 and Tu-22M3.

Preparation for the operation took over one and a half years. President Zelenskyy personally oversaw the operation, while Head of the SBU Vasyl Maliuk and his team managed its execution. 

Ukraine strikes Russian strategic bomber airbases in Murmansk and Irkutsk Oblasts with kamikaze drones, targeting aircraft about 2,000 and over 4,000 km from the frontline. Footage from the sites shows massive fires and burning aircraft. The operation has been conducted by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), according to unofficial reports.

Drone attacks in Olenya and Belaya airbases

Ukrainian FPV kamikaze drones attacked strategic bomber airbases deep within Russian territory, according to reports by Ukrainian and Russian Telegram channels. The strikes targeted the Olenya airbase in Murmansk Oblast—approximately 2,000 km north of Ukraine—and the Belaya airbase in Irkutsk Oblast, located 4,300 km to the east. 

Residents near Belaya reportedly captured footage of FPV drones hitting the airfield, followed by multiple explosions. The Olenya airbase was also struck, and open-source intelligence (OSINT) analysts from Cyberboroshno identified the location in videos showing destroyed strategic bombers.

One of the videos, published by multiple Telegram channels, shows drone footage of fires at Belaya airbase, with voice-over commentary by SBU head Vasyl Maliuk, confirming the strike.

FPV drones were delivered to both bases by motor vehicles

In Irkutsk, Supernova+ reported that a long-haul truck stopped near the Belaya airbase and began launching FPV drones from its trailer, which then targeted parked aircraft and facilities on-site.

Similar accounts emerged from Murmansk Oblast. In one video, the narrator states:

“A long-haul truck arrived in Olenegorsk, the driver is running around frantically, FPV drones are flying out of his truck. The traffic police have just arrested him. He says, ‘I was told to come here, that someone would meet me. The drones are flying out one after another.’“

Visual evidence, allegedly from this attack indicated it was not a truck but a van towing a trailer in Murmansk Oblast. Later, it turned out that the images of the van were old.

Damage to aircraft and confirmed targets

According to analysis of the available video materials, at least four Tu-95 strategic bombers—used by Russia to conduct missile strikes on Ukrainian territory—were reportedly destroyed at Olenya airbase, Militarnyi says.

Ukrainian Telegram channel Supernova+ published multiple videos from both Murmansk and Irkutsk Oblasts, claiming there were at least 10 explosions at Olenya.

Another channel, Exilenova+, posted footage of Tu-95MS bombers engulfed in flames at Olenegorsk, Murmansk Oblast.

Russian Migalovo airbase hit by kamikaze drones, reports confirm (video)

First drone strike in Irkutsk Oblast

This marks the first time Irkutsk Oblast has been attacked by drones since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine began.

Russian site Meduza says the drones were reportedly spotted in the Usolsky district, with settlements such as Sredniy and Novomaltinsk coming under attack. The Belaya military airfield in this area houses Tu-22M3 bombers.

SBU operation “Web” targets Russian bombers

Ukrainian publication Babel, citing sources within the SBU, reported that the strikes were part of a planned special operation dubbed “Pautyna” (“Web”), carried out on 1 June.

Babel’s report added that the FPV drones were deployed to target aircraft involved in bombing Ukrainian cities and towns. The damages from this operation are estimated to exceed $2 billion, according to the source. 

Read the follow-up:

“Trojan truck attack”: Ukraine used AI-trained FPV drones launched from trucks to destroy “34%” of Russia’s strategic bomber fleet in a day