Operation Spider's Web
| Operation Spider's Web | |
|---|---|
| Part of the attacks in Russia during the Russian invasion of Ukraine | |
A drone-struck Tu-95 at Russia's Olenya airbase | |
| Location | |
| Target | Russian Air Force |
| Date | 1 June 2025 |
| Executed by | Security Service of Ukraine |
| Outcome | 10–11 Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3 destroyed (per The War Zone) 20 military aircraft hit, 10 of which were destroyed (per US) 41 military aircraft hit (per the Security Service of Ukraine), at least 13 military aircraft destroyed (per NSDCU) |
Operation Spider's Web (Ukrainian: Операція «Павутина», romanized: Operátsija "Pavutýna") was a covert drone attack carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) deep inside Russia on 1 June 2025, during the Russo-Ukrainian War. The coordinated strikes targeted the Russian Air Force's Long-Range Aviation assets at five air bases—Belaya, Dyagilevo, Ivanovo Severny, Olenya, and Ukrainka—using drones concealed in and launched from trucks on Russian territory.
It was the largest drone attack on Russian air bases up to that point in the war, employing 117 drones, according to Ukrainian officials. According to two US officials speaking to Reuters, about 20 military aircraft were hit in the attack, ten of which were destroyed. Russia confirmed that the attack took place. The operation was notable for its unprecedented geographical reach—spanning five oblasts across five time zones—particularly the strike on Belaya Air Base in Eastern Siberia, where damage was confirmed 4,300 km (2,700 mi) from Ukraine.