Ukraine launches major drone attack on Russian bombers, security official says

Reported strikes on four airbases in Siberia mark escalation in cross-border incursions before planned peace talks

Deborah Cole, Pjotr Sauer and Artem Mazhulin
Sun 1 Jun 2025 15.55 EDT

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Several Russian and Ukrainian media outlets reported that Ukraine carried out the operation by launching drones from lorries parked near military airfields deep inside Russia.

Ukrainian officials told the media that the operation – codename “Spiderweb” – had been in preparation for more than 18 months. The drones were first smuggled into Russia and later concealed under the roofs of small wooden sheds which were loaded on to trucks and driven to the perimeter of the airbases. The roof panels of the sheds were lifted off by a remotely activated mechanism, allowing the drones to fly out and begin their attack, the official said.

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“In total, 117 drones were used in the operation. And a corresponding number of drone operators were working,” he said. “Thirty-four per cent of the strategic cruise missile carriers at the airfields were hit. Our people were operating in different Russian regions – in three time zones. And our people were withdrawn from the territory of Russia on the eve of the operation, and now they are safe – those who helped us.”

Photographs from Ukrainian security officials showed dozens of short-range quadcopter drones piled up in an industrial facility. Other images showed the wooden sheds with their metal roofing panels removed, and the drones sitting in the cavities between roof beams.

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