How Ukraine made the bold attack of “web on the network of Russian bombers

It was an attack of amazing ingenuity – unprecedented, wide and 18 months in creation.

On June 1, more than 100 Ukrainian drones struck air bases deep inside Russia, aimed at assassins, which are nuclear, capable.

The scale of the operation, called “Spider Web”, became clear almost as soon as it began, with explosions reported in several time zones throughout Russia – not only to the north as Murmansk over the Arctic Circle, and to the Amur region, over 8,000 km from Ukraine.

The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed that the attacks occurred in five regions of Russia – Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Raisan and Amur – but said the planes were damaged only in Murmansk and Irkutsk, while the attacks were repelled elsewhere.

Photos posted shortly after the attack, Vasil Maliuk, head of Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), can be seen by considering a satellite card at the airports where the bases in the places listed by Russia are clearly identified.

Malik said the drones were smuggled in Russia in wooden cabins, mounted on the back of trucks and were hidden under remote -controlled roofs.

Then the trucks obviously moved to places near air bases of drivers who at first glance did not know about their cargo; The drones were then fired and placed on their goals.

Videos circulating online shows appear from the roof of one of the vehicles involved. A truck driver interviewed by the Russian state exit RIA Novosti said he and other drivers are trying to break down drones flying a truck with rocks.

“They were at the back of the truck and we were stones to prevent them from flying up to keep them nailed,” he said.

According to unverified reports by the Russian Telegram Channel Baza – which is known for its connections with security services – truck drivers from which drones flew out all the similar stories that were booked by businessmen to supply wooden cabins around Russia.

Some of them said they then received additional phone instructions on where to park the trucks; When they did, they were astonished when they saw drones fly out of them.

In a triumphant publication shared on social media on Sunday night, Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski – who directly controls the operation – said 117 drones were used in a bold attack, which takes “one year, six months and nine days” to prepare.

He also said that one of the target places is right next to one of the FSB security offices.

Russia has said it has detained people in connection with the attack, although Zelenski said that the people who helped facilitate the operation “have been withdrawn from the Russian territory … They are already in safety.”

The already deleted telegram publication local authorities from the city of Ust-Kut in the Irkutsk region said they were looking for a 37-year-old, born in Ukrainian in connection with the attack on the drone at Bellaia’s military airport.

The images shared by the SBU show, dozens of small casualties neatly stored in wooden cabins inside a warehouse that Russian military bloggers have identified on the spot in Chelyabinsk.

Dr. Steve Wright, based in the UK drone expert, told the BBC that drones used for strikes in Russian planes are simple quadcopters carrying relatively high payloads.

He added that what did this attack “quite unusual” was the ability to smuggish them in Russia and then start them and command them remotely – which he concluded that it was achieved through a connection translated by satellite or the Internet. Zelenski said that each of the 117 dropped drones has its own pilot.

D -RET also suggested that drones are likely to be able to fly when using GPS, but may also have overcome localized Russian silence measures by manually piloting drones remotely.

Kiev did not share details about the origin of the drones, but since the beginning of the war Ukraine became extremely effective in their production – and it is possible for those used in this operation to have been manufactured at home.

“Russia has had many tangible losses and justified,” Zelenski says in her night video address.

According to Ukraine, 41 strategic bombers were hit and “at least” 13 destroyed. Moscow has not confirmed any aircraft losses beyond saying that some planes have been damaged.

Videos, confirmed by the BBC, show damaged planes at the Olenegorsk Air Base in Murmansk and the Bellaia Air Base in Irkutsk.

It is believed that strategic rocket bombers targeted at the attack are-in-line with other-TU-95, TU-22 and TU-160. Correctioning them will be difficult and since no one is in production yet, replacement is impossible.

Radar satellite images shared by Space Capella reveal at least four poorly damaged or destroyed Russian long distance bombers at Belaya Airbase. This corresponds to the Ukrainian shots of drones, also showing an attack by a TU-95 bomber.

“According to the laws and customs of war, we have developed absolutely legal goals – military airports and planes that bombard our peaceful cities,” said SBU leader Vasil Malik.

The TU-95 bombers are said to have launched a large-scale missile attack on the KH-101 of Ukraine recently last week. Each bomber can carry eight cruise missiles and the rocket itself carries a 400 kg combat head (882 pounds).

A-50 military spy planes were also reported. They are valuable planes that enhance Russia’s ability to both cross Ukrainian missiles and shoot their blows.

It is not known how many A -50 Russias are -but in February 2024 the Chief of Military Intelligence Kirilo Budanov put this number at eight, so any loss or damage can be a serious blow to Moscow.

In a social media publication, SBU said the Spider Web operation cost Russia $ 7 billion ($ 5.2 billion in British pounds).

The Russian state media remained thoroughly quiet in the attacks, with the Sunday TV shows of Primetime simply citing statements by regional authorities. Until Monday morning, the story had disappeared from the newsletters.

On the Internet and beyond the Ukrainians, they were celebrating, praising the operation as “Titanic”.

“Of course, not everything can be revealed at this point,” Zelenski writes Telegram, “But these are Ukrainian actions that will undoubtedly be in history textbooks.”

Additional reporting by Kumar Malhotra, Tom Spencer, Richard Erwin-Brown, Paul Brown and Benedict Garman