Ukraine has launched what appears to be its largest drone-based operation to date, striking two key Russian air bases that house strategic bombers used in long-range attacks against Ukrainian cities.
The June 1 attack targeted the Olenya and Belaya airfields deep inside Russian territory, Ukrainian sources confirmed.
According to information released by Ukrainian officials, the operation involved swarms of FPV drones remotely launched from vehicles positioned near the airfields. These mobile platforms were reportedly parked within proximity of the targets, enabling direct line-of-sight control for precise navigation and terminal attack.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) is overseeing the effort as part of an ongoing special operation code-named “Pavutyna” — or “Web” — aimed at degrading Russia’s long-range strike capabilities.
“This is a coordinated effort to eliminate enemy aircraft that continue to attack our civilian infrastructure on a nightly basis,” [/b]a Ukrainian official familiar with the operation said.
Ukrainian sources claim the drone assault [b]damaged or destroyed over 40 aircraft, including Tu-95 and Tu-22M3 bombers, as well as at least one A-50 airborne early warning aircraft. Publicly released footage shows burning Tu-95 bombers on airfield aprons, with secondary explosions visible in multiple locations.
Open-source videos filmed by local residents appear to confirm the timing and location of the strikes. Later in the day, Ukrainian defense channels released additional visual evidence showing smoldering Russian aircraft engulfed in flames.
The scale of the damage has not been independently verified, but estimates from Ukrainian sources put Russian losses above $2 billion. If confirmed, this would represent the most damaging strike on Russia’s strategic aviation assets since the full-scale invasion began in 2022.
The Tu-95 and Tu-22M3 bombers struck in the raid are among the primary platforms used by Russian Aerospace Forces to launch cruise missiles into Ukrainian cities. Their destruction could temporarily disrupt Russia’s ability to conduct deep strikes from standoff range.
