Operation Spiderweb: Ukraine strikes multiple Russian targets in large drone attack

Ukraine has conducted its most extensive and coordinated drone strikes deep inside Russian territory since the outbreak of the war, destroying a number of combat aircraft across multiple air bases, according to the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU).

The operation, codenamed Spiderweb, comes on the eve of anticipated peace negotiations in Istanbul between Ukraine and Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that the assault involved the deployment of 117 drones and had been meticulously planned for over 18 months.

“This was an absolutely unique operation,” President Zelenskyy stated in his Sunday night address. “The planning, organisation, and all the details were perfectly executed.”

A senior source within the SBU said the strikes caused significant destruction, with Russian bombers reportedly “burning en masse” at four separate airfields located hundreds of miles apart. According to the agency, the drones were launched from trucks situated within Russian territory.

Among the aircraft targeted were TU-95 and TU-22M3 strategic bombers, as well as one of Russia’s few remaining A-50 airborne early warning and control planes. The SBU estimates that the strikes inflicted roughly $7 billion in damage and impacted approximately 34 per cent of Russia’s strategic cruise missile carrier fleet.

The air bases targeted included Belaya in Irkutsk—nearly 4,500 kilometres from Ukraine’s border—along with Dyagilevo in Ryazan, Olenya near Murmansk in the Arctic Circle, and Ivanovo, a transport aircraft base over 800 kilometres from Ukraine.

“We are doing everything to drive the enemy from our native land! We will strike them at sea, in the air, and on land. And if needed — we’ll reach them even from underground,” read a defiant statement issued by the SBU.

The US Department of Defense is currently assessing the full scope of the damage. A senior American defence official noted the high level of sophistication displayed in Ukraine’s operation—marking a new phase in Kyiv’s long-range capabilities. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth received updates while travelling on Sunday but has yet to speak directly with Ukrainian officials.

Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defence confirmed that airfields in five regions were targeted, labelling the strikes as “terrorist attacks.” It claimed that drone incursions in the Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur regions were repelled, but acknowledged that fires broke out in the Murmansk and Irkutsk regions, damaging several aircraft before being brought under control.

No casualties were reported, though the Russian authorities added that “some participants in the terrorist attacks have been detained.”

As diplomatic efforts prepare to resume in Istanbul, the scale and precision of Operation Spiderweb signal Ukraine’s determination to assert military pressure alongside the pursuit of a negotiated resolution.