Ukraine Launches Large-Scale Drone Attack on Russian Military in Siberia

Strategic Insights -

Ukraine's military has unleashed a large-scale drone attack against Russian military bombers in Siberia, targeting more than 40 warplanes thousands of kilometres from its own territory. The attack, reportedly codenamed "Spiderweb," was carried out by Ukraine's SBU domestic intelligence agency and had simultaneously struck four Russian military airbases. The strikes were aimed at destroying enemy bombers far from the front, in Russia.

Key Takeaways:

  • The drone attack is Ukraine's most damaging strike of the war to date, with over 40 aircraft reportedly hit, including Tu-95 and Tu-22 strategic bombers.
  • The operation, codenamed "Spiderweb," had been in preparation for more than 18 months and was carried out by Ukraine's SBU domestic intelligence agency.
  • The drones were launched from lorries parked near military airfields deep inside Russia and were first smuggled into Russia and later concealed under the roofs of small wooden structures.
  • The attack marked the first time Ukraine has targeted Russian military bases in Siberia, a region over 4,000km from Ukraine's territory.
  • Russian investigators said they believed "explosions" had caused two bridges in the border regions of Kursk and Bryansk to collapse overnight, derailing trains and killing at least seven people.
  • The attack came as Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that a delegation led by his defence minister, Rustem Umerov, would attend peace talks in Istanbul on Monday.

Statistics:

  • Over 40 warplanes were reportedly hit in the drone attack, including Tu-95 and Tu-22 strategic bombers.
  • The operation, codenamed "Spiderweb," had been in preparation for more than 18 months.
  • Ukraine's SBU domestic intelligence agency carried out the attack, using drones launched from lorries parked near military airfields deep inside Russia.
  • The attacks targeted four Russian military airbases simultaneously.
  • Russia launched 472 drones overnight, the highest nightly total of the war so far, as well as seven missiles.

Sources:

  • Agence France-Presse: Quoting a Ukrainian security official, "Ukrainian security services are carrying out a large-scale special operation aimed at destroying enemy bombers far from the front, in Russia."
  • Reuters: Reporting on video footage showing the strikes, in which several large aircraft appearing to be Tu-95 bombers were on fire.
  • Ukrainska Pravda: Citing a source, the operation -- codenamed "Spiderweb" -- had been in preparation for more than 18 months.
  • Mash (Telegram channel): Publishing footage showing men in Siberia's Irkutsk region attempting to prevent drones from launching.
  • Kyiv Independent: Reporting on the governor of Irkutsk oblast, Igor Kobzev, confirming "a drone attack on a military unit in the village of Sredny".