Subscribe for Daily Intel Briefs curated by former CIA officers at https://www.restrictedhandling.com/OPERATION SPIDERWEB: The $7 BILLION Strike That Shattered Russia’s Sanctuary (Deep Dive Analysis)On June 1, 2025, Ukraine launched "Operation Spiderweb" (Ukrainian codename "Pavutyna")—Kyiv’s longest-range assault of the war. This unprecedented deep-strike operation used 117 unmanned aerial vehicles to hit at least four strategic airbases simultaneously deep inside Russia, including locations in the Arctic (Olenya) and Siberia (Belaya, over 4,000 km from Ukraine). The attacks targeted Russia’s Long-Range Aviation forces—the strategic bombers and supporting aircraft critical to Moscow’s missile attacks on Ukraine. The operation resulted in estimated $7 billion in equipment losses and demonstrated that Russia’s strategic heartland was no longer untouchable.A Masterclass in Covert Tactics and AI InnovationOperation Spiderweb was meticulously planned over 18 months by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) under chief Vasyl Maliuk, with close involvement from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The success hinged on extreme operational security and deception:1. Infiltration: Small, first-person-view (FPV) strike drones and explosives were covertly smuggled into Russia over many months, hidden in wooden modular cabins or crates disguised as innocent cargo on ordinary trucks.2. Close-Range Launch: Unwitting local truck drivers were instructed to park at pre-designated locations near the target airbases. Remote mechanisms then opened the truck roofs, and the 117 drones launched just kilometers from their targets.3. Evading Defense: This close-range launch meant the small, low-flying drones offered almost no warning on radar, catching Russian air defense units completely off-guard.4. Long-Range Control: Operators safely located in Ukraine controlled the drones over vast distances using Russia’s own 4G/LTE cellular networks for live video feeds. They utilized open-source ArduPilot software running on onboard computers for autonomous flight stabilization.5. Precision Targeting: Elements of AI-assisted targeting were reportedly used to help the drones home in on critical, vulnerable weak points of the aircraft—such as fuel tanks or avionics bays—to maximize damage with minimal payload.6. Evidence Destruction: After launching the attack, the launch trucks were detonated with self-destruct charges to destroy all evidence, denying Russia forensic insight into Ukraine’s technology and logistics.The Strategic Blow and Irreplaceable LossesThe coordinated strikes across four major airfields—Belaya, Olenya, Dyagilevo, and Ivanovo Severny—delivered a major blow to Russia’s long-range strike capability. Ukraine claims 41 aircraft were struck (approximately 34% of Russia’s strategic cruise missile carriers), including high-value assets such as the Tu-95MS “Bear,” Tu-22M3 “Backfire,” and Tu-160 “Blackjack” strategic bombers. Crucially, the operation also targeted and claimed to damage several A-50 AWACS surveillance planes at Ivanovo Severny Air Base, severely degrading Russia’s early-warning radar coverage and command-and-control capabilities.The loss of Soviet-era bombers like the Tu-95s is considered "effectively irreplaceable in the short term," given that they are no longer in production.Geopolitical Fallout and Russian RetaliationOperation Spiderweb proved to be a game-changer in the conflict. It showcased the potency of asymmetric warfare, where inexpensive drone swarms and novel tactics achieve outsized strategic effects. The attack shattered Russia’s sense of invulnerability, forcing Moscow to immediately relocate dozens of remaining bombers to more remote dispersal airfields in the Far East and Central Russia to reduce vulnerability.Moscow reacted furiously, branding the strikes a “terrorist” attack. In explicit retaliation for Spiderweb, Russia launched one of the largest air assaults of the war on June 6, 2025.

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