Countries are losing trust in Washington. Retired US Army General Ben Hodges told Ukrinform that recent military operations by Ukraine and Israel against enemy targets reflect a growing distrust in the US by both countries.
On 13 June, Israel carried out a large-scale military Rising Lion operation targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities. The operation, years in the making, mirrored Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb, as both involved coordinated drone swarms launched from hidden bases to crippl
Countries are losing trust in Washington. Retired US Army General Ben Hodges told Ukrinform that recent military operations by Ukraine and Israel against enemy targets reflect a growing distrust in the US by both countries.
On 13 June, Israel carried out a large-scale military Rising Lion operation targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities. The operation, years in the making, mirrored Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb, as both involved coordinated drone swarms launched from hidden bases to cripple enemy infrastructure. Iran responded with ballistic missile attacks, killing three. It still refuses to stop its nuclear program despite Trump’s direct offer.
Hodges says he believes the Israelis also do not trust the Trump administration because they did not ask permission or inform the Trump administration directly before the operation. Similarly, Ukrainian forces did not do this immediately before Operation Spiderweb.
He emphasizes that this is a negative result for the US, but he does not blame Israel for its decision.
At the same time, the general hopes that Washington will support Jerusalem and help “finish the job,” which could lead to the elimination of the nuclear threat from Iran.
Another important lesson from Israel’s strikes is that Russia “did nothing” to assist Iran, once again proving its unreliability. He added that although Iran provided military assistance to Russia, it is currently unknown whether this continues and to what extent.
Hodges also expressed the view that the current US administration has no intention of actively intervening to remove the Russian regime, showing indifference to Ukraine’s fate and to European security.
When asked about the possibility of US troop withdrawal from Europe, the general didn’t rule it out, but believes it is unlikely to happen in the near term.
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On 12 June, Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated a new phase of government discussions on the State Rearmament Program for 2027–2036, with the agenda focused on advancing air defense, space systems, drone capabilities, and robotic technologies, according to a 13 June report from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). The overhaul is part of Russia’s preparation for a prolonged war with Ukraine and potential future conflict with NATO, the think tank says.
This comes amid Russia’s major e
On 12 June, Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated a new phase of government discussions on the State Rearmament Program for 2027–2036, with the agenda focused on advancing air defense, space systems, drone capabilities, and robotic technologies, according to a 13 June report from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). The overhaul is part of Russia’s preparation for a prolonged war with Ukraine and potential future conflict with NATO, the think tank says.
This comes amid Russia’s major escalation of ground assaults and air attacks in Ukraine, while US President Donald Trump has pushed for Kyiv-Moscow peace talks for months, allegedly to end the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war, yet Russia has repeatedly reiterated its initial goals of the invasion, amounting to Ukraine’s capitulation, which proved Trump’s efforts ineffective.
During the meeting, Putin claimed that Russia’s air defense systems had ostensibly intercepted over 80,000 aerial targets since February 2022. Of these, 7,500 were described as operational-tactical and cruise missiles, which Putin said were “almost all” Western-made. He argued that Russia’s war in Ukraine demonstrated the need for a “universal air defense system” that can counter all types of projectiles.
Focus on AI, space capabilities, real-time command systems, naval rebuilding
Putin also emphasized the necessity for advanced digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) to be deeply embedded in Russian military systems. He outlined goals to develop a fleet of new, unspecified spacecraft aimed at improving reconnaissance and enabling real-time command and control capabilities. The Kremlin is also investing in the modernization of the Russian Navy and seeking to rebuild the Black Sea Fleet, which has sufferedheavylosses due to Ukrainian attacks.
“Putin’s statements regarding the need for enhanced Russian air defense systems are likely in part a response to Ukraine’s ‘OperationSpider Web,’ in which Ukrainian forces demonstrated an ability to achieve operational surprise and launch drones against airbases in Russia’s deep rear, highlighting the inability of air defenses in these areas to repel short-range Ukrainian first-person view (FPV) drone strikes,” ISW wrote.
Oil revenues may factor into strategy
Despite its ambitions, Russia’s ability to finance the vast rearmament remains unclear, ISW says. According to the think tank, the country’s defense industrial base (DIB) had already struggled with fulfilling both domestic and foreign military contracts before Western sanctions were imposed in 2022 in response to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
ISW suggests that rising oil prices—partly triggered by Israeli strikes against Iran—could help Russia finance some of its military goals if those prices remain elevated over the medium- to long-term.
The think tank concludes that the Kremlin is likely using battlefield lessons from its war in Ukraine to “inform adaptations of Russia’s military and preparing Russia’s DIB for a protracted war against Ukraine and a potential confrontation with NATO.”
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Ukraine and Russia are burning through Soviet howitzers—but Putin has Kim Jong Un’s number. The 2S7 howitzers are dying. North Korea is making the clones.
Israel hit Iran — Iran launched drones. Now we know why the US took Ukraine’s anti-drone defenses. Days before Israel bombed Iran, the US redirected 20,000 anti-drone rockets originally bound for Ukraine to the Middle East.
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The world holds its breath after an Israeli strike on Iran, but Kyiv braces for worse as Washington’s priorities may shift, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports.
Israel has carried out a large-scale military operation targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities. The operation, years in the making, mirrored Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb, as both involved coordinated drone swarms launched from hidden bases to cripple enemy infrastructure.
Global reaction has been mixed, ranging from
The world holds its breath after an Israeli strike on Iran, but Kyiv braces for worse as Washington’s priorities may shift, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports.
Israel has carried out a large-scale military operation targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities. The operation, years in the making, mirrored Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb, as both involved coordinated drone swarms launched from hidden bases to cripple enemy infrastructure.
Global reaction has been mixed, ranging from calls for restraint to avoid a regional war to open support for Israel’s decisive action. But for Ukraine, this escalation spells troubling consequences.
Analysts warn that the rising tensions between Israel and Iran could prompt the United States to divert its attention and resources from the war in Ukraine to the Middle East. This would be a deeply dangerous shift for Kyiv, which depends on uninterrupted allied support to resist Russian aggression.
“Without a doubt, this will distract some attention from the defense of Ukraine against Russian aggression,” said Roland Freudenstein, a Brussels-based analyst.
The Trump administration has been clear about its intent to bring the war in Ukraine to a swift close, even at the cost of painful compromises. A new crisis in the Persian Gulf only reinforces this narrative. Meanwhile, Trump’s self-imposed “two-week” window for striking a deal with Russia has just expired.
Beyond geopolitics, energy markets are also feeling the impact. Following Israel’s strikes, oil prices surged to $75 per barrel, a $5 spike in just hours. That’s direct profit for the Kremlin’s war chest.
“If the Middle East crisis deepens, it will inevitably push energy prices up. And in some ways, this benefits Russia,” warns analyst Ian Lesser.
While considering a price cap of $45 per barrel on Russian oil, the European Union risks losing leverage. Kyiv is demanding even tougher measures, a $30 cap, to strangle the Kremlin’s war financing. But in the current chaos, this plan may become harder to implement.
Once again, Ukraine stands to become a victim in a war, this time between Israel and Iran.
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Israel has carried out a large-scale military operation targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities, an action reportedly prepared over the years, which resembles tactics used in Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb, according to UNIAN.
On 1 June, Ukraine’s Security Service carried out a special operation that struck 41 aircraft, part of Russia’s nuclear triad. The mission has become a symbol of a new era of asymmetric warfare, where innovative drone systems and high-tech solutions allow a non-nuclea
Israel has carried out a large-scale military operation targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities, an action reportedly prepared over the years, which resembles tactics used in Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb, according to UNIAN.
On 1 June, Ukraine’s Security Service carried out a special operation that struck 41 aircraft, part of Russia’s nuclear triad. The mission has become a symbol of a new era of asymmetric warfare, where innovative drone systems and high-tech solutions allow a non-nuclear nation to effectively challenge a nuclear power state.
According to Israeli media, the Israel Defense Forces established a covert base for strike drones within Iranian territory. From this hidden launch site, a wave of kamikaze drones attacked key components of Iran’s nuclear and missile infrastructure.
Al Jazeera reports that the drones struck earth-to-earth missile launchers at Iran’s Asfaghabad military base near Tehran.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has stated that the military “will continue its mission to disrupt Iran’s nuclear ambitions.”
Simultaneously, Israeli fighter jets reportedly bombed uranium enrichment facilities in Natanz and Fordow, as well as missile bases in Kermanshah and Khorramabad. Other major cities, Tehran, Isfahan, and Tabriz, were also hit, with precision strikes aimed at top military leadership and nuclear scientists, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports.
The holy city of Qom, home to much of Iran’s clerical elite, also came under attack.
According to unconfirmed reports cited by Iranian state media, the strikes killed several high-ranking figures, including IRGC Commander Hossein Salami, Iranian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri, and nuclear physicist Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi.
Israel Defense Forces Spokesperson Efi Defrin says the operation was a preemptive warning against Iran’s near-completion of a nuclear weapon.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Iran had already stockpiled enough enriched uranium for nine nuclear bombs and planned to produce 10,000 ballistic missiles within three years.
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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.
Amid the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war, Moscow has been extensively using its strategic bomber fleet—originally intended as part of its nuclear deterrent—for launching conventional cruise missil
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.
Amid the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war, Moscow has been extensively using its strategic bomber fleet—originally intended as part of its nuclear deterrent—for launching conventional cruise missiles against Ukraine. Earlier this month, a coordinated Ukrainian drone strike destroyed a double-digit number of Russian bombers, delivering a significant blow to Russia’s capacity for large-scale air-launched missile attacks.
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.
Tu-95MS carrying eight Kh-101 cruise missiles—its maximum payload. Photo via Militarnyi.
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.
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.
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Today, there is a lot of interesting updates from the Russian Federation.
Here, Ukraine is launching a coordinated campaign across Russia’s military-industrial heartland, to cripple the Kremlin’s ability to wage high-tech war. With a devastating cyberattack on the Tupolev Design Bureau and precision strikes on microelectronics plants, Ukraine is not just targeting weapons, it is forcing Russia’s production capabilities back to the stone age.
The Ukrainian Operation Spiderweb inflicted sig
Today, there is a lot of interesting updates from the Russian Federation.
Here, Ukraine is launching a coordinated campaign across Russia’s military-industrial heartland, to cripple the Kremlin’s ability to wage high-tech war. With a devastating cyberattack on the Tupolev Design Bureau and precision strikes on microelectronics plants, Ukraine is not just targeting weapons, it is forcing Russia’s production capabilities back to the stone age.
The Ukrainian Operation Spiderweb inflicted significant losses on Russia, with 25 strategic aircraft confirmed damaged or destroyed. Notably, Russian authorities are already trying to hide the extent of the damage by swapping out destroyed bombers for intact ones taken from airfields not hit by the strikes.
To complement the severe blow against the Russian strategic bomber aviation, the Ukrainian Military Intelligence conducted an extensive cyberattack on the Tupolev Design Bureau, which designs and produces all Russian strategic bombers. Ukrainian intelligence gained access to more than 4 gigabytes of sensitive data. The leaked files include internal correspondence between company executives, personal data of employees, home addresses, biographies of engineers and designers, procurement documents, and classified disclosures from closed-door meetings.
A screenshot from the RFU News- Reporting from Ukraine YouTube video, 11 June.
The breach provides Ukrainians with comprehensive insight into operations and personnel involved in maintaining Russia’s strategic aviation fleet. This information could be used for the sabotage of the plant through low-ranking aviation engineers who can be recruited into Ukrainian information networks, with humans always being the weakest link in such large-scale organizations.
Additionally, to cement the inability of Russians to rebuild their strategic bomber fleet, the Ukrainians decided to strike factories that produced other high-tech components necessary for the Russian war effort. These factories produce various microchips and technology essential in the production of Russian bombers, tanks, missiles, guidance systems, vision sights, and radars.
The Ukrainians most recently struck the Avangard microchip and radio-electronics factory in Saint Petersburg. While Russian media initially claimed that all Ukrainian drones were intercepted, Russian emergency services confirmed a major fire in the section of the plant responsible for microchip production and assembly. Thick black smoke was seen rising from the facility, with the blaze covering around 100 square meters.
A screenshot from the RFU News- Reporting from Ukraine YouTube video, 11 June.
Before that, Ukrainian drones targeted the Bolkhov Semiconductor Device Plant, scoring multiple direct hits on the main building. The explosions triggered extensive fires that spread across the facility, causing significant damage and putting the factory out of commission.
A screenshot from the RFU News- Reporting from Ukraine YouTube video, 11 June.
Earlier, the Strela microelectronics plant in the town of Suzemka, Bryansk region, was struck. Located just 8 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, it was within range of HIMARS strikes, which caused the most extensive damage of all the targeted Russian military-industrial plants. Satellite imagery later confirmed that nearly the entire facility was destroyed, leaving no operational production capacity.
A screenshot from the RFU News- Reporting from Ukraine YouTube video, 11 June.
Finally, the Ukrainians hit the Kremniy El microelectronics plant in the city of Bryansk, delivering multiple strikes that ignited a large fire throughout the site. This was the fifth attack on the plant since the start of the war, but the latest damage appears to be the most devastating yet.
The Ukrainian strikes had a major impact, targeting key sites in Russia’s military-industrial complex. The Avangard plant, where a massive fire broke out, produces radio electronics, microchips, and communication systems used in ballistic and cruise missiles, with even Russian authorities listing it as one of the most strategically important facilities.
The strike on the Bolkhov plant was even more severe, disrupting the production of critical components for Sukhoi fighter jets, Iskander ballistic missiles, and Kinzhal hypersonic missiles. The Strela plant in Suzemka, which produces microchips for systems like the Tor air defense platform, was entirely reduced to rubble and must be rebuilt from the ground up.
A screenshot from the RFU News- Reporting from Ukraine YouTube video, 11 June.
Meanwhile, the Kremniy El plant in Bryansk, one of Russia’s largest microelectronics producers, supplied parts for Pantsir systems and Iskander missiles. These strikes severely limit Russia’s ability to produce advanced weaponry, forcing a shift to lower-tech solutions that reduce combat effectiveness and increase frontline losses.
Overall, the Ukrainians conducted some of the most devastating strikes on the Russian military industry in recent months. With over thirty percent of Russia’s nuclear-capable strategic bombers destroyed, Ukrainians are now starting to dismantle their ability to build these weapons entirely. The breach of the Tupolev Design Bureau internal systems means now Ukraine possesses Russia’s most sensitive data on its strategic bombers designs and still active aircraft fuelling future precision strikes and combat operations that place the remaining Russian fleet at serious and growing risk.
In our regular frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has revealed Russia’s real objectives in peace negotiations. On 9 June, he said that after talks in Istanbul, Moscow would continue to fight against Ukraine, but is ready to address humanitarian issues through diplomacy, TASS reports.
This means Russia does not view negotiations as a platform for resolving the war. However, its engagement in peace talks may help it avoid new Western sanctions.
Lavrov made this statement at the Future Forum 2050 in Mosco
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has revealed Russia’s real objectives in peace negotiations. On 9 June, he said that after talks in Istanbul, Moscow would continue to fight against Ukraine, but is ready to address humanitarian issues through diplomacy, TASS reports.
This means Russia does not view negotiations as a platform for resolving the war. However, its engagement in peace talks may help it avoid new Western sanctions.
Lavrov made this statement at the Future Forum 2050 in Moscow.
“The special operation will be continued after negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul. However, Russia is ready to simultaneously advance the resolution of humanitarian issues through diplomacy,” Lavrov said.
At the same time, the Russian foreign minister added that Ukraine allegedly shows “growing terrorist threats.”
On 1 June, Ukraine’s Security Service carried out a special operation that struck 41 aircraft, part of Russia’s nuclear triad. The mission has become a symbol of a new era of asymmetric warfare, where innovative drone systems and high-tech solutions allow a non-nuclear nation to effectively challenge a nuclear power state.
“Risks of growing terrorist threats exist. We see them and will do everything to ensure they are suppressed and do not harm our citizens,” he declared.
He also accused Britain of helping carry out attacks on targets within Russian territory, conveniently forgetting about Russia’s own strikes on Ukraine.
According to him, Ukraine “would be helpless without British support.” Lavrov also did not overlook the US’s involvement in the operation, according to UNIAN.
“Who knows, maybe US intelligence services are also involved, but the British—100%,” he said.
Also, Errol Musk, Elon Musk’s father, came to Moscow for the forum, Channel 24 reports. He praised Russia and Putin personally. He regretted not having visited Russia earlier, as it is “incredible.”
This is not his first statement of this kind. Previously, he argued that Putin “says logical things,” forgetting to mention that Russia’s war against Ukraine has killed nearly 13,000 civilians, including 618 children.
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Russia is creating a risk for its nuclear force with its own hands. By deploying elements of its nuclear triad in the war against Ukraine, it is turning its strategic delivery systems into legitimate military targets, says expert Oleksii Izhak from Ukraine’s National Institute for Strategic Studies, Espreso reports.
Ukrainian strike drones and precision-guided weapons are increasingly destroying Russian aircraft and dual-use missile systems — those capable of carrying both conventional and nuc
Russia is creating a risk for its nuclear force with its own hands. By deploying elements of its nuclear triad in the war against Ukraine, it is turning its strategic delivery systems into legitimate military targets, says expert Oleksii Izhak from Ukraine’s National Institute for Strategic Studies, Espreso reports.
Ukrainian strike drones and precision-guided weapons are increasingly destroying Russian aircraft and dual-use missile systems — those capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads.
This trend became especially evident after Ukraine’s large-scale Operation Spiderweb, a series of precision strikes on Russia’s strategic airbases. These attacks exposed the vulnerability of sites previously believed to be immune to any assault. It was only after this campaign that Moscow began warning of a “threat to Russia’s nuclear security.”
On 1 June, Ukraine’s Security Service carried out a special operation that struck 41 aircraft, part of Russia’s nuclear triad. The mission has become a symbol of a new era of asymmetric warfare, where innovative drone systems and high-tech solutions allow a non-nuclear nation to effectively challenge a nuclear power state.
But the expert is convinced: if Russia itself involves potential nuclear delivery systems in a conventional war, it forfeits its so-called nuclear immunity.
Moscow employs nuclear force components in its war effort. Russian dual-use systems, Iskander-M, Iskander-K, Kinzhal missiles, Su-24M, Su-34, and Tu-22M3 bombers, are regularly used with conventional warheads to strike targets in Ukraine.
“Ukraine is systematically destroying and will continue to destroy these systems on the battlefield, and there is no argument the West can make that undermines the logic of Ukraine’s actions,” says Izhak.
In such circumstances, Russia cannot expect that the mere nuclear potential of its systems will grant them any immunity.
According to him, Moscow has chosen a dangerous path, invoking nuclear weapons in rhetoric while actively using their delivery systems in a conventional war. But the war against Ukraine has proven these platforms are far from invulnerable.
It’s not just the strategic bombers that have proven to be large, exposed targets. Even mobile launchers like the Topol-M and Yars are barely protected.
For decades, the Kremlin justified its opposition to NATO expansion by claiming that non-nuclear missile deployments near Russian borders would undermine its nuclear security. But now, as Ukrainian drones and missiles destroy nuclear-capable delivery systems deep inside Russia, that argument is losing all credibility.
“NATO may expand or not — the new vulnerability of Russia’s nuclear forces will remain,” says Izhak.
At the same time, he stresses that no one would target Russia’s nuclear triad if it posed no threat. If Russia were to cease its aggression against Ukraine, it would no longer need its strategic arsenals.
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Ukraine is still waiting for the United States to respond to its request to purchase air defense systems, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on 7 June. This followed a major Russian air assault on Kharkiv city the same day, as Russia reportedly targeted the city with 67 explosive drones, nine aerial bombs, and a missile.
Ukraine seeks to acquire American-made Patriot systems, which are among the few Western air defense platforms capable of intercepting ballistic missiles. These missiles are regu
Ukraine is still waiting for the United States to respond to its request to purchase air defense systems, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on 7 June. This followed a major Russian air assault on Kharkiv city the same day, as Russia reportedly targeted the city with 67 explosive drones, nine aerial bombs, and a missile.
Ukraine seeks to acquire American-made Patriot systems, which are among the few Western air defense platforms capable of intercepting ballistic missiles. These missiles are regularly used by Russia to target Ukrainian cities. Moscow conducts daily attacks on residential neighborhoods far from the frontline, using long-range explosive drones and sometimes adding missiles to the assaults. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump pushes for Kyiv-Moscow talks, allegedly to end the ongoing war, in order to restore relations with Russia.
Zelenskyy calls for urgent US support
In his evening address on 7 June, Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine urgently needs “positive signals” from the US — not just words, but concrete decisions.
“We are working to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense. We urgently need positive signals from the United States – concrete signals regarding air defense systems,” he said. “We are still waiting for a response to our request to purchase systems that can help — concrete signals, not words.”
He also thanked European nations for their support and emphasized the importance of joint production efforts.
“We must also achieve results in the joint production of air defense systems and missiles for them – this is absolutely essential for our whole Europe,” Zelenskyy noted, adding that “only time separates us from that result, and what matters most is shortening that time.”
The statement came after a Ukrainian delegation visited Washington on 6 June. According to the head of the Office of the President, Andrii Yermak, Ukraine expressed its readiness to buy weapons from the US. However, Yermak stated that members of Congress believe Washington can continue supplying arms directly to Ukraine instead.
On 6 June, Russia attacked Kyiv, Lutsk, and Ternopil with hundreds of drones and 45 missiles, leading to heavy casualties among civilians. That day, US President Donald Trump appeared to defend Russia’s massive airstrike on Ukrainian cities the night before, claiming that Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb had given Vladimir Putin “a reason to go in and bomb the hell out of them last night.” Earlier, after a phone call with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, he said Russia’s reaction would “not be pretty.”
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The United States believes Russian President Vladimir Putin’s full “retaliation” for Ukraine’s bold drone assault against Russia’s strategic bomber fleet last weekend is still forthcoming and will likely involve a substantial, multi-pronged attack, Reuters reported on 7 June, citing unnamed US officials.
Ukraine’s 1 June operation Spiderweb involved 117 drones launched into Russia, reportedly hitting up to 20 warplanes, with 10 likely destroyed, per US officials. Russia responded on 6 June with
The United States believes Russian President Vladimir Putin’s full “retaliation” for Ukraine’s bold drone assault against Russia’s strategic bomber fleet last weekend is still forthcoming and will likely involve a substantial, multi-pronged attack, Reuters reported on 7 June, citing unnamed US officials.
Ukraine’s 1 June operation Spiderweb involved 117 drones launched into Russia, reportedly hitting up to 20 warplanes, with 10 likely destroyed, per US officials. Russia responded on 6 June with over 400 explosive drones and 45 missiles targeting Ukrainian civilian areas. While Russia deploys hundreds of long-range drones daily, firing so many missiles at once is rare—typically only once a month—due to depleted reserves and marks the pace of new missile production.
This context puts the speculations of the Western officials cited by Reuters at odds, since Russia does not need any excuses such as “retaliations” to launch hundreds of drones daily, but has physical limitations regarding missiles. The report just shows that the officials inadvertently accept Russia’s narrative, treating what has become routine aerial daily aggression as retaliatory action.
According to Reuters, US officials stated on condition of anonymity that Russia’s massive missile and drone barrage on 6 June was only part of a broader retaliatory plan. One official claimed that the upcoming strike is expected to be “asymmetrical,” meaning it will not directly mirror Ukraine’s drone attack. Another official stated the Kremlin is likely to employ multiple air capabilities, including missiles and drones.
The timing of the complete response remains uncertain. However, one source told Reuters it could occur within days. A Western diplomatic source suggested that key targets may include symbolic Ukrainian sites, such as government buildings, in an effort to send a strong message to Kyiv.
Western diplomats foresee intensified Russian assault
A Western diplomatic source told Reuters that while Russia’s retaliation may have already begun, it is expected to intensify. Another senior diplomat described the expected attack as “huge, vicious and unrelenting,” but also said the Ukrainians are “brave.”
Neither the Russian nor Ukrainian embassies in Washington responded to Reuters’ requests for comment. The White House also did not issue an immediate statement.
Analysts suggest intelligence and defense sites could be targeted
According to Reuters, Michael Kofman, a Russia analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, speculated that Moscow might focus its retaliation on the SBU, Ukraine’s domestic security agency behind the Operation Spiderweb, or regional intelligence buildings. He also mentioned that Russia could use intermediate-range ballistic missiles to deliver a powerful message and possibly strike Ukrainian defense manufacturing sites.
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The Moscow generals who planned a “three-day” victory. The nuclear bombers that threatened Alaska for decades. The Wagner mercenaries who carved up African nations like personal fiefdoms — all neutralized by a country the world still sees as David fighting Goliath.
In just three years, Ukraine’s shadow warriors have rewritten the playbook of 21st-century espionage. They’ve assassinated Moscow’s top brass in their own capital, sabotaged Russia’s strategic bomber fleet with drones hidden in de
The Moscow generals who planned a “three-day” victory. The nuclear bombers that threatened Alaska for decades. The Wagner mercenaries who carved up African nations like personal fiefdoms — all neutralized by a country the world still sees as David fighting Goliath.
In just three years, Ukraine’s shadow warriors have rewritten the playbook of 21st-century espionage. They’ve assassinated Moscow’s top brass in their own capital, sabotaged Russia’s strategic bomber fleet with drones hidden in delivery trucks, and turned Putin’s African empire into a hunting ground — without a single Western spy officer leaving their desk.
As the West debates red lines and escalation risks, Ukraine’s spies are doing what no NATO agency dared: hunting Russian war criminals across three continents, from Moscow’s suburbs to Mali’s deserts — the very territories where Russia projected power unopposed for years.
Russia’s failed blitzkrieg birthed something far more dangerous than Ukrainian resistance — Ukrainian revenge. Putin’s quick war fantasy created a long-term horror: adversaries who follow no playbook but their own, with the owl now hunting the bear in its own den.
When David learned to fight dirty
Since 2022, Ukraine’s army has rapidly grown into one of the most inventive forces of the 21st century. As former US Secretary of State Antony Blinken quipped in 2023, Russia now fields “the second-strongest army in Ukraine” — a nod to how Ukrainian defenders have outsmarted what was once seen as a global military giant.
Yet, while Ukraine’s conventional forces make headlines, it’s the country’s intelligence services – especially the Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) — that are quietly waging a global shadow war against Russia. Many of Ukraine’s boldest missions bear HUR’s fingerprints: from assassinations deep inside Russia to sabotage operations across Africa and Syria, Ukraine’s military intelligence has become one of the world’s most active — and feared — covert forces.
Now, Ukraine’s domestic security agency, the SBU, has shown up too, reshaping the future of warfare. On 1 June, after 18 months of planning, the SBU neutralized 34% of Russia’s nuclear-capable long-range bombers in a single operation.
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Dubbed “Spider Web,” the operation used 117 smuggled drones hidden in cargo trucks to strike five Russian airbases — some as far as 4,000 kilometers (2,485 miles) from Ukraine. The attack damaged or destroyed at least 13 strategic bombers, with Ukrainian estimates putting Russia’s losses at $7 billion.
In effect, Ukraine also did the United States a favor by striking the Tu-95 bombers — aircraft that have loomed as a nuclear threat to the US, especially near Alaska, for decades.
However, after what may be one of the most daring operations to rewrite the modern intelligence playbook, the race between HUR and the SBU is only heating up — and Moscow has every reason to fear what comes next.
The secret squad that crosses every red line
HUR’s reach now extends far beyond Ukraine’s borders, reflecting a doctrine forged through years of war with Russia and close cooperation with Western partners like the CIA and MI6.
“If you’re asking about Mossad as being famous [for]… eliminating enemies of their state, then we were doing it and we will be doing it,”said HUR chief, General Kyrylo Budanov. “We don’t need to create anything because it already exists.”
Israel’s Mossad has long been considered the gold standard in espionage and sabotage. That image faltered after its failure to prevent the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks — but Israel quickly reasserted its reputation with a dramatic retaliation.
However, in September 2024, it made a brutal comeback with a headline-grabbing retaliation known as the “pager attack,” when explosives hidden in pagers and walkie-talkies were slipped to Hezbollah fighters and remotely detonated, killing dozens and injuring thousands more.
Ukraine, it seems, was taking notes. In February 2025, its intelligence services reportedly pulled off an echo of the pager attack: FPV drone goggles rigged with explosives were funneled to Russian units by fake donors posing as pro-Kremlin volunteers. When Russian drone operators opened the gear — it blew up in their hands.
“Ukraine’s ability to carry out an operation akin to the pager attack in Lebanon hinges on a robust and evolving intelligence service capable of complex global operations,” said Treston Wheat, chief geopolitical officer at Insight Forward and adjunct professor at Georgetown University.
Russia, meanwhile, was waging its own shadow campaign. In July 2024, it was suspected of sending parcel bombs across Europe, hiding incendiary devices in packages disguised as sex toys and fake cosmetics — a covert operation revealed months later by a Reuters investigation.
Yet, in the world of modern spycraft, it’s Ukraine that’s increasingly setting the pace. While Ukraine remains tight-lipped about its role in targeted assassinations, the precision and success of its recent operations speak volumes.
As a leading Russia analyst Mark Galeotti put it, the Kremlin is “well aware of HUR’s capabilities,” adding that Russian security agencies “treat it with considerable professional respect — even if equal dislike.”
Shattered by Russia’s 2014 invasion, Ukraine’s main intelligence agency took a decade to rise from the rubble — and make global headlines for hunting Russia’s war criminals across continents. Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Why Putin’s generals can’t sleep safely in Moscow
Andriy Cherniak of Ukraine’s military intelligence has made the stakes clear: anyone attacking Ukraine “is being watched.” Working hand-in-hand with the SBU, Ukraine’s spies have hunted down Russian war criminals and collaborators — even deep inside Moscow. In recent months, Kyiv has eliminated several Russian generals, with the Kremlin’s security agencies seemingly powerless to stop the growing reach of Kyiv’s covert war.
“They’ve been effective in terms of tactical outcomes, many of the missions have succeeded, including high-profile assassinations beyond Ukraine’s borders,” said Ukraine’s MP Oleksandra Ustinova, claiming that hunting down war criminals offers a powerful morale boost for Ukrainians.
Beyond revenge, these strikes serve a larger purpose: exposing the cracks in Russia’s security and political system, shaking confidence in its military leadership, and sending a message to the Kremlin itself. As Ustinova explains, military victories help reshape the political landscape — making it harder for Russia to sustain its campaign — the strategic logic behind Ukraine’s covert war.
“They’ve also shown the West that Ukraine’s capabilities go far beyond what we’ve traditionally been credited with,” Ustinova adds. “Even if they deliver smaller-scale successes, they still play a vital role in the broader campaign.”
Kyiv also believes it has shattered a long-standing Western fear: that any Ukrainian strike inside Russia — even in Moscow — would trigger massive escalation.
“These assassinations help demonstrate that,” Ustinova said, adding that the West seems far more afraid of what Ukraine could do to Russia if finally allowed to fight without limits.
How the CIA trained Russia’s most dangerous enemy
Ukraine’s rise as an intelligence powerhouse didn’t happen overnight — and it didn’t happen alone. After Russia launched its war in 2014, both the SBU and HUR — riddled with Russian infiltration, abandoned by fleeing operatives, and crippled by lost documents and shattered capabilities — were left in disarray and in urgent need of rebuilding.
The CIA saw it as a rare chance to rebuild a key ally against Russian aggression — but remained wary of the SBU, burdened by its Soviet legacy, a track record of corruption, and deep entanglement in economic crimes. While the CIA did invest in the SBU, including the creation of a new spy unit called the Fifth Directorate, it was HUR — Ukraine’s foreign-facing intelligence agency — that emerged as the biggest beneficiary of Western support.
In 2015–2016, under then-HUR chief Valerii Kondratiuk, Kyiv quietly began laying the groundwork for covert warfare, anticipating the day Russia would escalate to full-scale invasion. Soon after, the CIA funneled millions into training and equipping Ukraine’s intelligence officers. The goal was bigger than short-term support, seeking to transform Ukraine’s post-Soviet spy services into a modern, proactive force capable of striking deep behind enemy lines.
According to a former US diplomat stationed in Kyiv, Kondratiuk took significant personal risks to forge the partnership, likely handing over intelligence he wasn’t officially authorized to disclose. The gamble paid off: soon, the US began receiving sensitive data it hadn’t seen in decades.
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With US help, Ukraine built a network of secret forward bases near the Russian border — launchpads for sabotage, electronic warfare, and deep-penetration missions. The true scope of CIA support remains shrouded in secrecy: much of the partnership is classified, and the boldest operations likely unfolded far from public eye.
However, one glimpse into that shadow war came in August 2016. With Russian helicopters deployed in occupied Crimea, HUR special forces crossed enemy lines on a sabotage raid. A firefight erupted with Russian security agents. According to HUR, its agents killed Colonel Roman Kameniev — one of the top commanders of Russia’s special service (FSB) in Crimea — and Sergeant Semen Sychov, injuring others before exfiltrating.
The incident was so sensitive it sent shockwaves through capitals. Then-President Petro Poroshenko cut short a foreign trip, while US President Barack Obama considered shutting down Ukraine’s covert operations program entirely. Joe Biden, then Vice President, warned Ukraine’s president that “it cannot come close to happening again,” while Putin threatened to “not let such things slide by.”
That fear of Russian escalation has haunted US policy ever since, with Biden administration officials often paralyzed by fears of crossing Kremlin “red lines.” However, Kyiv has taken matters into its own hands — crossing Moscow’s so-called red lines again and again, and proving the Kremlin’s threats are more bark than bite.
Ukraine’s spies first struck in 2016, killing a top Russian intelligence officer in Crimea — a move bold enough to make Obama reconsider backing Kyiv’s covert ops. Photo: Alex Brandon/AP
The owl that haunts Putin’s nightmares
That firefight in Crimea would go on to shape more than just tactics — it forged the identity of Ukraine’s modern intelligence services. The mission, carried out by operatives from Ukraine’s Budanov’s unit, ended with the death of a Russian Spetsnaz commander who was also the son of a general. In the aftermath, the unit, already known for its audacity, adopted a new symbol: an owl with a sword piercing the heart of Russia.
The owl was chosen not only as a symbol of wisdom, but because it is the natural predator of bats — the emblem of Russia’s special forces, commonly known as Spetsnaz. It was also a deliberate counter to the Spetsnaz motto “Above us only stars.” It was also a bold answer to the Spetsnaz motto, “Above us only stars.” HUR’s quiet reply, etched in Latin: Sapiens dominabitur astris — Only the wise rule the stars. The Kremlin tried to smear the emblem as “fascist” and “extremist” — a sure sign it hit where it hurt.
The emblem was seemingly born from that very raid. Budanov reportedly kept live owls at their base, and the symbol was intended as a message to the Spetsnaz: we see in the dark, and we strike without warning. The image now sits behind Budanov’s desk, an enduring nod to the roots of HUR’s rise and to sticking it to the Russians. Budanov has also been the target of 10 Russian assassination attempts.
The 2016 firefight in Crimea that rattled the White House also forged the identity of Ukraine’s modern intelligence services — whose new insignia took a direct jab at Russia’s elite forces, their first major target.
The assassins who saved democracy
By 2021, Ukraine’s intelligence operatives were not only trained for war – they were carrying out global missions. During the fall of Kabul, HUR executed a high-risk evacuation operation, rescuing some 700 people over six flights, including Ukrainian nationals and foreign allies. Ukrainian soldiers escorted convoys through Taliban-controlled streets to the airport, often on foot and under threat in Afghanistan.
When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, HUR’s elite “Shaman Battalion” helped stop Kyiv from falling. The unit played a crucial role in the battle for Hostomel Airport, a key target Russia hoped to seize quickly to land troops just outside the capital. While they held the line there, other HUR teams sabotaged Russian convoys and supply routes, disrupting the advance toward Kyiv.
Later that year, the battalion carried out one of the war’s most daring missions — in the besieged city of Mariupol. As Russian forces surrounded the Azovstal steel plant, where hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers were trapped, HUR organized a series of helicopter raids behind enemy lines. Over the course of seven missions, they dropped supplies and evacuated the wounded, flying through hostile airspace in low-altitude, high-risk runs — piloted by volunteers who knew they might not return.
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How Ukrainian spies made Wagner afraid of the desert
HUR’s ambitions haven’t stopped at Ukraine’s borders. The Washington Postreported that in late 2024, Ukrainian intelligence sent around 20 experienced drone operators and around 150 first-person view (FPV) drones to Syrian rebels to assist in the fight against the Assad Regime — an echo of Budanov’s earlier pledge that Ukraine would hunt down Russia’s war criminals “in any part of the world.”
In Africa, HUR has supported efforts to attack Wagner mercenaries in Sudan and Mali, including an ambush in Mali that killed 84 Wagner mercenaries. Serhii Kuzan, chair of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Center, claims that among the Russian mercenaries killed in Mali were numerous criminals who had previously fought in Eastern Ukraine, some dating back as far as 2014.
Bah Traoré Legrand, a researcher from Senegal, noted that “Due to the current dynamics of international geopolitics, Mali has become the backdrop for indirect clashes between Russia and Ukraine.”
HUR reportedly shared intelligence that enabled the headline-making ambush in Mali, killing 84 Wagner mercenaries — including some accused of war crimes in Donbas since 2014.
However, not everyone is convinced Ukraine had a direct hand in the operation — a view reinforced by HUR spokesperson Andriy Yusov, who claimed Kyiv provided the Malian rebels only the “necessary” information to carry out the attack.
Antonio Giustozzi, a Senior Research Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), also cast doubt on Ukraine’s involvement in Mali, pointing out that no solid evidence links it directly to the operation.
“If there was an involvement, it was likely by providing some funding and perhaps some equipment to rebel groups in Mali,” he said.
These operations, however, have clearly unnerved Moscow. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has accused Ukraine of “opening a second front in Africa,” claiming Kyiv now seeks to destabilize Russia wherever it can.
From Syria to Sudan — and deep inside Russia itself — HUR’s expanding shadow war reflects Ukraine’s psychological campaign aimed at shaking Moscow’s grip on influence and fear.
“They [the Ukrainians] have to prove to African countries that the Russians are not all-powerful and can also lose,” said Irina Filatova, a Russian historian based in South Africa.
Tensions boiled over in April 2025. During a press conference in Moscow, Mali’s Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop — standing beside Russia’s Sergey Lavrov — labeled Ukraine a “terrorist state.” The outrage stemmed from a deadly strike in Mali that killed Wagner-linked fighters.
Kyiv fired back. Yevhen Dykyi, former commander of Ukraine’s Aidar Battalion and a military analyst, added that Ukraine is determined to hunt down Wagner mercenaries wherever they operate — including across Africa, having “a score to settle.”
“The true threat to African stability and progress is the Russian Wagner mercenaries, who bring nothing but death, destruction, and plunder wherever they go,” declared a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry in response to the accusations.
When Ukraine’s revenge became the West’s best investment
These moves leave little doubt: Ukraine has no intention of halting its global campaign against Russian mercenaries. On the contrary, the operation is gaining momentum. And if the West stepped up support for HUR’s worldwide missions — even with modest investments — the returns could be game-changing.
Such backing could help Ukraine erode Russia’s expanding influence in Africa, disrupt Wagner’s operations, and strengthen local resistance to authoritarian entrenchment.
“Russia essentially benefits from its African involvement by gaining votes in the UN assembly and by showing Western powers that it has the ability to undermine their interests in various parts of the world,” Giustozzi said.
Mick Ryan, a former Australian major general, echoed that point. He argued that Ukraine’s growing reach — from Africa to the Middle East — sends a clear signal: the West has far less to fear from Russia than it imagines. Even in war-torn Afghanistan, Moscow is no longer seen as untouchable — increasingly seen not as a global force, but as a frequent target of Kyiv’s drone strikes
In contrast, the Biden administration’s early posture in 2022 was shaped by fear of escalation and crossing Putin’s self-proclaimed “red lines.” While Ukrainian forces reclaimed occupied territory, Washington hesitated. The White House didn’t enable a Ukrainian victory — it played it safe.
However, history shows that bold intelligence work can help bend history toward justice. During World War II, Czech and British agents assassinated Nazi leader Reinhard Heydrich, while Mossad hunted down and eliminated members of Black September responsible for the Munich Olympics massacre.
In the years to come, NATO intelligence services will look to their Ukrainian counterparts not as students, but as peers. Ukraine has already shown what it means to punch above its weight. This is a nation, after all, that the current CIA Director John Ratcliffe recently described as willing to “fight with their bare hands if they have to, if they don’t have terms that are acceptable to an enduring peace.”
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Russian truck drivers who unknowingly transported Ukrainian drones into Russia had no knowledge of their cargo’s true purpose during the large-scale attack on Russian military airfields.
Operation Spiderweb, carried out by Ukraine’s Security Service, was a large-scale surprise Ukrainian drone strike on five Russian airbases that involved 117 drones covertly smuggled into Russia and launched from hidden compartments in trucks. The attack dest
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Russian truck drivers who unknowingly transported Ukrainian drones into Russia had no knowledge of their cargo’s true purpose during the large-scale attack on Russian military airfields.
Operation Spiderweb, carried out by Ukraine’s Security Service, was a large-scale surprise Ukrainian drone strike on five Russian airbases that involved 117 drones covertly smuggled into Russia and launched from hidden compartments in trucks. The attack destroyed or damaged over 40 strategic bombers, amounting to about $7 bn in losses and about one-third of Russia’s long-range strike fleet used for attacks on Ukraine.
“They didn’t know anything. They just did their job,” Zelenskyy told ABC News correspondent Martha Raddatz in an exclusive interview airing on This Week with George Stephanopoulos.
The drivers transported what they believed were mobile cottages and other containers, unaware that the structures contained drones equipped to assault Russian airfields and damage military hardware worth billions of dollars.
Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukrainian Security Service used exclusively domestic weapons for the operation.
“I wanted very much to use only what we produce and to have the separation [be] very clear,” the Ukrainian president said.
Operation web details
On 1 June, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) conducted Operation Web, targeting Russian military airfields at Olenya, Belaya, Dyagilevo, and Ivanovo with drone strikes. The operation targeted Russian aircraft including A-50 early warning planes, Tu-95 strategic bombers, and Tu-22M3 supersonic bombers.
The operation reportedly damaged 41 Russian aircraft, representing 34% of Russia’s strategic cruise missile carriers stationed at their home bases.
The operation required over 18 months of preparation, according to SBU sources. Ukrainian intelligence first smuggled FPV drones into Russia, followed by mobile wooden houses. The drones were later concealed under the roofs of these structures, which were opened remotely at the start of the operation to launch the aircraft.
Aftermath and investigation
All individuals who assisted in organizing the operation have been reportedly evacuated from Russia. However, Russian authorities have issued a warrant for 37-year-old Ukrainian-born Artem Timofeev, allegedly the owner of the trucks used to transport the drones.
The Russian Telegram channel Baza, linked to Russian law enforcement, reported interrogations of truck drivers who launched drones during the SBU’s large-scale attack on Russian airfields. The drivers reportedly believed they were transporting prefabricated houses and identified the truck owner as a man named Artem.
Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukrainian secret services extracted all operation participants from Russian territory following the successful mission.
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US President Donald Trump compared the war in Ukraine to a fight between two children. In response, the Kremlin declared that this war is “existential” for Russia. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov says the war is a “matter of the future” for Russia.
The West sometimes struggles to fully grasp that the Russia–Ukraine war is not about territory or money. In such conflicts, the stakes are absolute: survival or destruction. Ukraine is fighting for its survival as an independent state, while Russia
US President Donald Trump compared the war in Ukraine to a fight between two children. In response, the Kremlin declared that this war is “existential” for Russia. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov says the war is a “matter of the future” for Russia.
The West sometimes struggles to fully grasp that the Russia–Ukraine war is not about territory or money. In such conflicts, the stakes are absolute: survival or destruction. Ukraine is fighting for its survival as an independent state, while Russia seeks to eliminate that very existence.
“Of course, the US president may have his own view of what’s happening, but for us, this is an existential issue — a matter of our national interests, our security, and the future of ourselves and our children, the future of our country,” he claims.
He adds that Russia does not believe Trump is trying to abandon his mediator role with such remarks. Peskov also says Moscow is grateful to the US for its mediation efforts and emphasized the importance of continued contact with Washington.
The Kremlin also states that the massive missile and drone strike on Ukraine in the early hours of 6 June was in retaliation for Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb. That night, Russia launched a combined attack using various types of missiles and strike drones.
In total, Russian forces fired 452 aerial weapons. As a result of Ukraine’s air defense operations, 199 drones and 36 missiles were shot down. The latest Russian assault caused casualties, injuries, and destruction across multiple regions of Ukraine.
According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, its forces allegedly carried out “precision strikes” against targets in Ukraine’s defense industry and weapons depots. In reality, Ukrainian rescue workers and civilians were among the victims, including a couple in Lutsk who had planned to marry. A Russian missile destroyed their apartment building, obliterating the section from the eighth floor down. The couple was later found under the rubble in the basement.
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Russia “scrambled all the strategic aviation it could,” even overloading Tu-95 bombers with cruise missiles. According to aviation expert Kostiantyn Kryvolap on Kyiv24, this approach risks accelerating the wear and tear on Russian aircraft, 24 Channel reports.
Russia continues its daily air attacks on residential areas in Ukraine. Earlier, the Kremlin had threatened retaliation for Ukraine’s 1 June strike on Russian aircraft. Its statements came after FPV drones destroyed or damaged 41 Russian b
Russia “scrambled all the strategic aviation it could,” even overloading Tu-95 bombers with cruise missiles. According to aviation expert Kostiantyn Kryvolap on Kyiv24, this approach risks accelerating the wear and tear on Russian aircraft, 24 Channel reports.
Russia continues its daily air attacks on residential areas in Ukraine. Earlier, the Kremlin had threatened retaliation for Ukraine’s 1 June strike on Russian aircraft. Its statements came after FPV drones destroyed or damaged 41 Russian bombers, including Tu-95, Tu-22M3, Tu-160, and an A-50 radar aircraft, around 34% of Russia’s entire strategic bomber fleet.
“These aircraft will soon be nearly gone,” he continues.
The aviation expert notes that Tu-160 bombers are still flying but aren’t being loaded with missiles for now, and there aren’t enough carriers for Kinzhal hypersonic missiles.
Therefore, another similar massive strike is unlikely in the near future.
On the night of 6 June, Russia launched over 450 aerial weapons, including 44 missiles and more than 400 Shahed drones. Ukrainian air defense shot down 406 of them, including 199 Shaheds, 30 Kh-101 missiles, 4 Iskander-M ballistic missiles, and 2 Iskander-K cruise missiles.
“They’ve done everything they could. This is their maximum capability,” Kryvolap emphasizes.
However, he warned that Shahed attacks will continue, becoming faster, lower, and more dangerous. Ukraine must rethink its air defense strategy against kamikaze drones, as new threats are already emerging.
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In autumn 2024, the Kremlin made another step towards fresh nuclear blackmail. On 25 September, Vladimir Putin publicly hinted at the possibility of expanding the conditions for the use of nuclear weapons, stressing the need to “forecast the development of the situation” and update strategic documents to new circumstances.
On 19 November 2024, Putin signed an updated nuclear doctrine, setting out new rules of the nuclear game that were supposed to be a factor of pressure not only on Ukr
In autumn 2024, the Kremlin made another step towards fresh nuclear blackmail. On 25 September, Vladimir Putin publicly hinted at the possibility of expanding the conditions for the use of nuclear weapons, stressing the need to “forecast the development of the situation” and update strategic documents to new circumstances.
On 19 November 2024, Putin signed an updated nuclear doctrine, setting out new rules of the nuclear game that were supposed to be a factor of pressure not only on Ukraine but also on the West, in particular, regarding further military support for Kyiv.
The updated doctrine stipulates a condition for Russia’s nuclear response in case of a “critical threat” to sovereignty, including the use of conventional weapons, citing “the event of verified information about a large-scale launch of aerospace attack assets and their crossing of the Russian border.”
In order to “lock in the effect” of the document, the Russian authorities demonstratively fired an experimental ballistic missile from the Kedr system at the million-plus Ukrainian city of Dnipro.
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Almost seven months after Moscow updated its nuclear doctrine, Kyiv has carried out an unprecedented strike. On 1 June 2025, Ukraine conducted the historic Operation “Spiderweb,” an attack on four Russian military airfields in the deep rear: “Belaya” (Irkutsk region), “Dyagilevo” (Ryazan region), “Olenya” (Murmansk region), and “Ivanovo” (Ivanovo region).
According to initial information, the strikes destroyed or damaged more than 41 Russian strategic aircraft, including Tu-95, Tu-22M3, Tu-160 bombers and A-50 reconnaissance planes.
A hundred Ukrainian drones took off from specially equipped trucks right next to Russian air bases without crossing the border, raising questions not only about the security of strategic facilities in the deep rear but also about the effectiveness of all Russian law enforcement agencies. In fact, Russia has not experienced such a shameful defeat since it was founded.
The damage and destruction of Russian strategic bombers is not only a direct reduction in the military’s potential to launch missile strikes on civilian Ukrainian cities.
In strategic terms, Operation “Spider’s Web” caused significant damage to the Russian nuclear arsenal that Moscow will find extremely difficult to restore. In particular, restoration will require decades and billions of dollars — and this is only if the Russian defence industry is capable of producing such aircraft at all.
Russia has no established serial production of new strategic bombers and is currently upgrading and assembling the vehicles using aircraft bodies that have been saved since the 1980s. This process is called ‘reproduction’ in Russia, but it is not a full-fledged production from scratch. For example, no new aircraft have been produced in recent years, and only a few modernised Tu-160Ms have been assembled using Soviet bodies.
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The dark truth behind NATO’s “fear of Russian escalation”
Moreover, such successes by Ukraine’s Defense Forces may have another consequence: they serve as a clear demonstration of Kyiv’s capabilities — a trump card that Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed Ukraine lacked when speaking about the war.
This strike also proved that most of the “red lines” and Russian threats, including those with a nuclear component, are just “weapon saber-rattling” aimed at intimidation.
At the same time, as Zelenskyy stated at the Summit of NATO’s Eastern and Northern Flank Leaders in Vilnius on 2 June 2025, Russia cannot veto NATO’s decisions and cannot be involved in decisions about Europe’s future since Putin has chosen to confront it.
In particular, this should be understood by those European leaders who are still frightened by Putin’s threats of nuclear war or World War III.
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It’s time to crush Russia’s dangerous “red lines” illusion
A strike on an element of the Russian nuclear arsenal is not only in the interests of Ukraine, but also in the interests of overall European security.
The Ukrainian army is actively working — with its own forces — to reduce Russia’s military threat to the European continent, precisely as European intelligence agencies are warning of a possible direct Russian aggression against NATO’s Eastern member states in the coming years.
Today, European countries concerned with their own security have a unique chance to contribute to the reduction of Russian military capabilities by investing in the Ukrainian defence industry, supporting its army, and bolstering its defense by procuring long-range weapons, missiles, and drones.
It is only Ukraine’s success on the battlefield that will determine how quickly, if at all, Moscow will be able to rebuild its forces for a possible attack on Europe in the coming years.
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On 6 June, Russia involved its Tu-160 strategic bombers in last night’s cruise missile strike against Ukraine, according to Ukraine’s Air Force. Usually, only older Tu-95 aircraft carried out such attacks, now both Tu-95s and Tu-160s were used to launch 36 Kh-101 missiles. Militarnyi notes that the use of Tu-160s in such attacks is unusual and signals a potential shortage of Tu-95MSM bombers, which are typically used for these operations.
On 1 June, Ukraine carried out a sophisticated drone atta
On 6 June, Russia involved its Tu-160 strategic bombers in last night’s cruise missile strike against Ukraine, according to Ukraine’s Air Force. Usually, only older Tu-95 aircraft carried out such attacks, now both Tu-95s and Tu-160s were used to launch 36 Kh-101 missiles. Militarnyi notes that the use of Tu-160s in such attacks is unusual and signals a potential shortage of Tu-95MSM bombers, which are typically used for these operations.
On 1 June, Ukraine carried out a sophisticated drone attack targeting Russia’s aging Tu-95 and Tu-22 bombers—key platforms used to launch cruise missiles at Ukrainian cities—while notably omitting Tu-160s. The current use of Tu-160s, Moscow’s primary nuclear-capable bombers, for cruise missile strikes may indicate a growing shortage of operational strategic aircraft and a reliance on more costly, less efficient platforms.
According to Militarnyi, Tu-95MSM bombers are generally favored for missile strikes because of their higher airframe and engine longevity, which is attributed to several factors: lower flight loads, simpler construction, use of turboprop engines, and suitability for long-duration patrol missions at cruising speeds of approximately 750 km/h at altitudes of 8–10 km. These conditions impose less wear on the aircraft compared to supersonic flight.
The Tu-160 is faster and more powerful than the Tu-95 but is significantly more complex to operate, according to Militarnyi. It features variable-sweep wings, which require additional mechanical systems, and it is designed for supersonic speeds that place heavier structural loads on the airframe and engines. These factors result in faster degradation during service and much higher operational costs, both in fuel consumption and maintenance.
Militarnyi says the increased use of Tu-160 bombers is likely the result of losses sustained during the Ukrainian Security Service’s (SBU) Operation Pavutyna (“Spiderweb” or “Cobweb”). During that operation, at least eight Tu-95 bombers were reportedly hit—either destroyed or damaged—on Russian airbases.
Per Militarnyi, the following Tu-95 aircraft were identified as damaged or destroyed:
RF-94120 “Kozelsk” (Belaya airbase), confirmed as modernized to Tu-95MSM
RF-94132 “Voronezh” (Olenya airbase), also modernized to Tu-95MSM
RF-94257 “Chelyabinsk” (Olenya airbase), confirmed as Tu-95MS as of 2021, though later modernization is not ruled out
Five additional Tu-95 aircraft, unspecified in their modernization status, were also hit at Belaya and Olenya airbases but have not yet been identified
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The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has advised Russian ruler Vladimir Putin to “stop whining” over Operation Spiderweb. Instead, Ukrainian diplomats have urged him to agree to a 30-day ceasefire and abandon unrealistic ultimatums.
On 1 June, Ukraine’s Security Service carried out a special operation that struck 41 aircraft, part of Russia’s nuclear triad. The mission has become a symbol of a new era of asymmetric warfare, where innovative drone systems and high-tech solutions all
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has advised Russian ruler Vladimir Putin to “stop whining” over Operation Spiderweb. Instead, Ukrainian diplomats have urged him to agree to a 30-day ceasefire and abandon unrealistic ultimatums.
On 1 June, Ukraine’s Security Service carried out a special operation that struck 41 aircraft, part of Russia’s nuclear triad. The mission has become a symbol of a new era of asymmetric warfare, where innovative drone systems and high-tech solutions allow a non-nuclear nation to effectively challenge a nuclear power state.
On 4 June, in a phone conversation with US President Donald Trump, Putin vowed to retaliate for Ukraine’s attack on Russian airfields.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry says that international law grants the right to self-defense in the event of aggression.
“It is also worth noting that the aircraft were vulnerable to strikes because they were fueled and armed for yet another attack on Ukrainian cities—to kill our children, civilians, and soldiers,” the ministry emphasizes.
The agency adds that there can be no equivalency between Ukrainian and Russian actions.
“Russia is the aggressor that launched an illegal and unprovoked invasion of our country. Ukraine is a nation defending itself against aggression. Therefore, by definition, Russian strikes are acts of aggression and terror, while Ukrainian strikes are acts of self-defense,” it says.
Ukrainian diplomats emphasize that Russia primarily targets civilians and aims to maximize civilian casualties.
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Today, there is an interesting update from the Russian Federation. Here, Ukraine conducted a sophisticated military operation, checkmating Russian security services and dealing a deadly blow to Russian strategic aviation.
After remotely sending swarms of drones using regular trucks as launching platforms, the Ukrainians successfully destroyed dozens of strategic planes that Russia can no longer produce, crippling Russia’s offensive capabilities for decades.
A screenshot for Reporting from Ukrain
Today, there is an interesting update from the Russian Federation. Here, Ukraine conducted a sophisticated military operation, checkmating Russian security services and dealing a deadly blow to Russian strategic aviation.
After remotely sending swarms of drones using regular trucks as launching platforms, the Ukrainians successfully destroyed dozens of strategic planes that Russia can no longer produce, crippling Russia’s offensive capabilities for decades.
A screenshot for Reporting from Ukraine
Trucks that brought doom
The groundbreaking Operation, codenamed Spiderweb, is a meticulously planned drone assault deep within Russian territory, marking one of the most complex special operations in modern military history.
After an extensive preparation lasting over 18 months, the Ukrainian Security Service launched 117 drones from concealed positions across Russia, striking five key airbases simultaneously.
The goal was clear: to neutralize the Russian strategic bomber fleet responsible for daily missile and bomb strikes on Ukrainian cities and key infrastructure.
Operational logistics showcased exceptional ingenuity. Ukrainian operatives covertly smuggled FPV drones into Russia. Storing them in warehouses, the drones were assembled and placed in specially designed mobile wooden cabins mounted on rented trucks.
These vehicles were then parked by regular drivers near each targeted airbase, which enabled the swift deployment of the drones when their roofs were remotely opened.
Notably, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy personally oversaw the execution, underscoring the operation’s strategic importance.
Zelenskyy emphasized the audacity of the operation by revealing that one of Ukraine’s operational headquarters was located adjacent to a local Russian FSB department, highlighting an embarrassing intelligence failure for Russia.
A screenshot for Reporting from Ukraine
Interestingly, one of the alleged warehouses is right along the border with Kazakhstan, indicating that Ukrainians routed their drone assembly at least partially through third countries like Kazakhstan.
This further implies that Ukrainian intelligence services have established bases not only inside Russia but also surrounding it.
Black wings over Murmansk
Among the targeted airbases was Olenya, located near Murmansk, 2,000 kilometers away from Ukraine. This facility hosted strategic nuclear-capable bombers, including Tu-95MS and Tu-160 aircraft.
At least ten explosions were reported here, with drones accurately targeting fuel storage and strategic aircraft.
Belaya airbase in Irkutsk Oblast was similarly struck, marking Ukraine’s first significant military action in Siberia, more than 5,000 kilometers away from the frontline.
The site, home to numerous Tu-22M3 bombers and various fighter aircraft, suffered substantial damage, with satellite images confirming at least seven aircraft destroyed or severely damaged.
Dyagilevo airbase near Ryazan experienced seven documented explosions affecting its Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3 aircraft. The Ivanovo Severny airbase was also targeted, with reports suggesting the destruction of an A-50 AWACS radar aircraft.
A screenshot for Reporting from Ukraine
This is a critical blow to Russia’s surveillance capabilities, with half of the Russian AWACS fleet now being destroyed, as Ukrainians previously destroyed 2 of the six other aircraft.
They cannot be replaced by the Russians due to a shortage of key components, increasingly lowering the Russian ability to monitor and operate in both friendly and enemy airspace.
A Russian airbase in the Amur region was also targeted, and even though the strike was reported as unsuccessful at first, satellite data showed later that a Tu-95 plane was destroyed.
The silence of the sensors
The magnitude and sophistication of Operation Spiderweb prompted vehement reactions from Russian military analysts, who described the strike as highly impactful and criticized attempts by Russian state channels to downplay the damage.
They condemned Russia’s inadequate air defenses, insufficient protective infrastructure, and counterintelligence failures that facilitated Ukraine’s devastating attack. As a rare exception to the usual immunity of criticism, prominent Russian military bloggers openly criticized Putin for the failures.
The saboteurs’ diversion
To ensure the safe extraction of its operatives and to divert Russian attention, Ukraine orchestrated multiple simultaneous sabotage operations.
A screenshot for Reporting from Ukraine
Before the drone strikes, four railway bridges were blown up, two in Bryansk Oblast, one in Kursk Oblast, and another in Melitopol, creating widespread panic and diverting Russia’s security apparatus toward railway infrastructure.
With trains travelling over the tracks as the bridges exploded, this panic and chaos only spread further. Additionally, a strong explosion followed by secondary detonations rocked Severomorsk, the administrative base of Russia’s Northern Fleet, adding further confusion.
Ukrainian security officials stressed that all participants involved had returned safely to Ukraine, asserting that any subsequent high-profile arrest staged by Russia would merely be theatrics for domestic consumption.
A screenshot for Reporting from Ukraine
The billion-dollar burn
Overall, Operation Spiderweb inflicted immense and irreparable damage to Russian military aviation capabilities. Ukrainian officials stated that over 40 aircraft, representing approximately 34% of Russia’s strategic missile-carrying bombers, were hit, causing estimated losses exceeding $7 billion.
Widely available footage from eyewitnesses, drone recordings, and detailed satellite imagery affirms the official Ukrainian claims, visually confirming the destruction of at least 21 strategic aircraft, including the invaluable A-50 AWACS platform, while the full extent of the damage is still being assessed.
Given the current limitations of Russia’s aircraft production capacities and the severity of the losses, the impact of Operation Spiderweb significantly reduces Russia’s ability to conduct strategic air operations for the foreseeable future.
A screenshot for Reporting from Ukraine
As Russia lost its ability to produce its strategic bombers, it also created panic within the country, successfully destroying the carefully nourished myth of Russian invincibility and devastatingly undermining the Russian nuclear shield.
In our daily frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.
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After the large-scale Ukrainian strike on Russian airfields, Russia was preparing an Iskander missile attack on Kyiv, but Ukraine’s Defense Forces launched a preemptive strike on the launchers in Bryansk Oblast.
Following the 1 June Operation Spiderweb carried out by Ukraine’s Security Service, which targeted 41 aircraft at Russian airfields, Moscow’s officials began threatening with retaliation. In a recent phone call, Russian ruler Vladimir Putin reportedly told US President Donald Tr
After the large-scale Ukrainian strike on Russian airfields, Russia was preparing an Iskander missile attack on Kyiv, but Ukraine’s Defense Forces launched a preemptive strike on the launchers in Bryansk Oblast.
Following the 1 June Operation Spiderweb carried out by Ukraine’s Security Service, which targeted 41 aircraft at Russian airfields, Moscow’s officials began threatening with retaliation. In a recent phone call, Russian ruler Vladimir Putin reportedly told US President Donald Trump that he “will have to” respond to the Ukrainian strike on Russian air bases.
Four days after the airfield attack, units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in coordination with the Security Service and other units of the Defense Forces, launched a missile strike on a Russian missile unit concentration area.
“The 26th missile brigade of the Russian military, operating from the area of Klintsy in Bryansk Oblast, was preparing to strike one of the Ukrainian population centers—most likely Kyiv,” the Ukrainian report states.
Due to effective intelligence and coordinated action by the Ukrainian units, the intended targets were successfully hit.
“One Russian missile launcher detonated, and two others were likely damaged,” the statement adds.
The extent of the damage is still being verified.
The General Staff emphasized that the timely and effective combat actions by Ukraine’s defenders helped prevent civilian casualties.
The Russian Iskander-M ballistic missile carries a conventional warhead weighing nearly 800 kilograms. Ukraine counters the missiles with the US-supplied Patriot system. Russia recently modernized the Iskander-M to make interception more difficult: it can now deploy radar decoys and perform evasive maneuvers during its terminal flight phase.
Since the beginning of 2025, Russia has used nearly 27,700 aerial bombs, around 11,200 Shahed drones, and almost 9,000 other attack unmanned aerial vehicles against Ukrainian territory. In addition, the Russians have launched over 700 missiles, including ballistic missiles.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that “with every new strike, with every delay of diplomacy, Russia is showing the middle finger to the entire world—to all those who still hesitate to increase pressure on it.”
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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.
SBU drones targeted strategic nuclear-capable bombers, Tu-95, Tu-160, Tu-22M3, as well as A-50 reconnaissance planes at four Russian airbases. The operation had been in the works for 1.5 years and was
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.
SBU drones targeted strategic nuclear-capable bombers, Tu-95, Tu-160, Tu-22M3, as well as A-50 reconnaissance planes at four Russian airbases. The operation had been in the works for 1.5 years and was activated when drones were released from wooden crates inside trucks. Experts called the mission better than a James Bond movie, with the destruction of aircraft likened to a Pearl Harbor for Russia’s air force.
“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.
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.
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Following Ukraine’s 1 June high-profile Spiderweb drone operation that targeted nuclear-capable Russian bombers deep inside Russian territory, US President Donald Trump has not issued any public comment. Meanwhile, MAGA influencers are reacting with suspicion, warnings, and accusations of US involvement, Axios reported late on 2 June.
Ukraine’s operation, celebrated domestically and by Western allies, involved over 100 drones and took 18 months to plan. The strike destroyed 10-40 irreplaceable s
Following Ukraine’s 1 June high-profile Spiderweb drone operation that targeted nuclear-capable Russian bombers deep inside Russian territory, US President Donald Trump has not issued any public comment. Meanwhile, MAGA influencers are reacting with suspicion, warnings, and accusations of US involvement, Axios reported late on 2 June.
Ukraine’s operation, celebrated domestically and by Western allies, involved over 100 drones and took 18 months to plan. The strike destroyed 10-40 irreplaceable strategic bombers at multiple Russian airbases, representing a major strategic win for Kyiv in a war largely defined by attrition and trench warfare. Russia has been widely using its strategic nuclear-capable bombers for missile strikes against Ukraine.
While officials and media in Ukraine praised the operation’s scale and success, voices within Trump’s MAGA movement sharply criticized it, according to Axios. Some expressed anger that Trump had not been informed of the strike in advance. Others framed the event as a provocation with potential global consequences.
Influencers speculate about US role
On Steve Bannon’s “War Room,” pro-Trump commentator Jack Posobiec questioned the possibility of US involvement in planning. Charlie Kirk, a leading MAGA activist, said, “Seems very much on the interior of Russia. I sure hope America had nothing to do with it.”
Rogan O’Handley, who runs the DC Draino account, claimed — without providing evidence — that the strike was “intentionally conducted to drag America into WW3.” Former Pentagon official Dan Caldwell warned of direct risks: “US should not only distance itself from this attack but end any support that could directly or indirectly enable attacks against Russian strategic nuclear forces.”
Longstanding MAGA hostility toward Zelenskyy and Ukraine
Axios noted that MAGA-aligned figures have consistently criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and framed Ukraine as a corrupt and untrustworthy actor. Military actions by Ukraine, even against legitimate military targets, often provoke stronger backlash within the Trump-aligned sphere than Russian daily strikes on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.
“Zelensky and any Ukrainian military operations against Russian troops have been met with hostility from MAGA for years,” Axios wrote.
Trump himself has issued occasional criticism of Russian attacks but remains largely quiet on many events involving Ukraine
Axios highlighted growing pressure on Trump from different factions within the Republican Party. While some GOP senators advocate for tougher stances on Russia, the MAGA base demands disengagement from Ukraine and views the country with deep suspicion.
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These planes aren’t just expensive — they can’t be replaced. On 1 June, Ukraine launched a devastating operation, Spiderweb, against four Russian airbases, destroying and damaging over 40 aircraft, including key strategic bombers with AI-powered FPV-drones, Channel 24 reports.
Russian strategic aviation has been involved in massive bombing of the Ukrainian cities and infrastructure facilities, using ballistic missiles, air-launched from a safe distance deep inside Russia. The strikes appear to
These planes aren’t just expensive — they can’t be replaced. On 1 June, Ukraine launched a devastating operation, Spiderweb, against four Russian airbases, destroying and damaging over 40 aircraft, including key strategic bombers with AI-powered FPV-drones, Channel 24 reports.
Russian strategic aviation has been involved in massive bombing of the Ukrainian cities and infrastructure facilities, using ballistic missiles, air-launched from a safe distance deep inside Russia. The strikes appear to be the most successful Ukrainian operation against Russian strategic bombers since the start of the full-scale war.
According to Oleh Katkov, editor-in-chief of Defense Express, the losses amount to billions of dollars, and Russia has no way to replace them.
“A strategic bomber costs an astronomical amount. Its value isn’t even measured in money, especially for Russia. To illustrate, a modern strategic bomber costs over a billion dollars per unit, simply because so few are produced,”says Katkov.
Among the lost aircraft, the Tu-160 supersonic missile carriers, developed during the Soviet era, are especially valuable. Katkov notes that Russia has only about 18 of them left, and not a single one was built from scratch after the Soviet Union collapsed.
The situation is even worse with the Tu-95 bombers — Russia no longer produces them at all.
“The only partial replacement they can attempt is to take a Soviet airframe and try to assemble a ‘new’ aircraft around it. But there’s nothing truly new in their inventory,” Katkov explains.
Thus, the strikes on Russia’s strategic aviation don’t just weaken its military power — they expose a deep crisis in the country’s defense-industrial complex.
Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that the coordination center of the Security Service of Ukraine’s operation Spiderweb on Russian territory was located directly next to one of the FSB’s regional offices.
As a result of the operation, A-50 radar planes, Tu-95, and Tu-22M3 bombers were struck. The estimated value of the destroyed bombers exceeds $7 billion.
He added that 117 drones were used in the operation, each operated by a separate team.
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