Satellite images provided to "Reuters" confirm that in the large-scale attack by Ukrainian drones on Russian military bases over the weekend, Tu-22 and Tu-95 strategic bombers were destroyed or severely damaged at the "Belaya" airfield in Siberia. The operation, called "Cobweb", is one of the most complex and long-range Ukrainian strikes in more than three years of war.
According to the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU), 117 drones were launched from near-integrated containers and hit at least five Russian military airfields - in the Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan and Amur regions. The Russian Defense Ministry said air defenses repelled the strikes in three of the regions, but acknowledged damage to aircraft in Murmansk and Irkutsk.
Satellite company Capella Space provided a SAR (synthetic aperture radar) image of the Belaya base, showing the remains of at least two Tu-22s and four damaged or destroyed Tu-95s, three independent analysts with open sources confirmed. SAR images can detect details even in cloudy weather and low visibility.
Aircraft visually confirmed hit in Operation Spiderweb by Ukraine 🇺🇦 on June 1, 2025
— Ukraine Battle Map (@ukraine_map) June 2, 2025
1. Olenya Air Base
4x Tu-95 Destroyed
1x Tu-95 Damaged
1x An-22 Destroyed
2. Belaya Air Base
3x Tu-95 Destroyed
1x Tu-95 Damaged
4x Tu-22M3 Destroyed
3. Ukrainka Air Base
1x Tu-95… pic.twitter.com/UNP3dxVZKd
"Comparing the wreckage with old images and drone footage, we clearly see the destruction of several aircraft," said John Ford of the Center for Nonproliferation Studies in California.
A separate drone video, confirmed by "Reuters", shows explosions and a burning Tu-95 at the "Olenya" airport in Murmansk. Ukrainian officials claim that of the more than 40 aircraft hit, 13 were completely destroyed.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the operation as "absolutely brilliant". According to the SBU, the damage from the strike amounted to $7 billion, and 34% of Russia's strategic cruise missile carriers were hit.
However, experts warn that Russia is still capable of carrying out missile strikes, but the loss of aircraft — some of which are no longer in production — will put significant pressure on the Kremlin's logistics. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) predicts that the attack will force Russia to redeploy its air defense systems and resort to mobile defense on a larger perimeter.
Ukraine added 12 more aircraft to its official register of destroyed Russian equipment as of June 3. International observers have yet to confirm the full extent of the damage, but experts agree — this is one of the most daring operations behind the front lines since the start of the full-scale war.