Conducting Operation Spider Web, Ukrainian Special Forces Damage 40 Russian Strategic Fighter Aircraft

KYIV, MONDAY - Russia and Ukraine are scheduled to hold peace talks again in Istanbul on Monday (2/6/2025). However, on Sunday (1/6/2025), both countries engaged in mutual attacks using unmanned aerial vehicles. Several public facilities, aircraft, and airfields were destroyed in the attacks.

The coordinated attack was carried out by Ukrainian special forces. The operation was dubbed Spider's Web.

A Ukrainian security official, speaking anonymously to The Associated Press (AP) on Sunday, explained that Ukraine had been preparing for the attack for a year and a half. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy directly oversaw the preparations for the attack.

According to the plan, Ukraine transported drones using container trucks deep into Russian territory. Ukraine targeted Russian air bases in the city of Belaya, eastern Siberia; in Olenya; in the Arctic near Finland; and in Ivanovo and Dyagilevo located east of Moscow.

More than 40 fighter jets were attacked at air bases in those cities. The Ukrainian drone strike damaged dozens of Russian military aircraft estimated to be worth seven billion US dollars on Sunday afternoon.

“The damaged aircraft included A-50s, Tu-95 and Tu-22M bombers,” the official said.

The aircraft were previously used by Moscow in attacks on Ukraine. Moscow employed the long-range bombers Tupolev Tu-95 and Tu-22 to launch missiles at Ukraine. Meanwhile, the A-50 was used to coordinate targets and detect air defenses as well as guided missiles.

The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed the attack in a statement. Through a statement on Telegram, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that several military aircraft were on fire, but there were no casualties. In addition, several individuals have been arrested.

Igor Kobzev, governor of Russia's Irkutsk region where the Belaya air base is located, said, "This is the first attack in Siberia."

Kobzev urged residents not to panic. He then uploaded an amateur video that appeared to show a drone flying in the sky and a large plume of gray smoke.

Andrey Chibis, the Governor of the Murmansk Region where the Olenya base is located, also stated that Ukrainian drones flew overhead, and air defense systems were operating in anticipation of the attack.

The Ukrainian attack was reported to have occurred at five airfields at 12:50 local time. It was explained in the statement that FPV drones damaged aircraft and triggered fires at the airbase in the Irkutsk region, located more than 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles) from Ukraine, and in the Murmansk region of northern Russia. However, Russia successfully thwarted the Ukrainian attack in the Amur region in the far east of Russia and in the western regions of Ivanovo and Ryazan.

Separately, the Head of Communications of the Ukrainian Air Force, Yuriy Ignat, stated that at the same time, Russia continues to attack Ukraine relentlessly. Russia launched 472 unmanned aerial vehicles. This number is the largest launched since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Russian missile strikes targeting a training unit location have resulted in the deaths of dozens of soldiers. "As of 12:50 PM local time or 4:50 PM WIB, 12 individuals have been reported dead and more than 60 others injured," said Ignat.

The attack led to the resignation of Ukrainian Ground Forces Commander Mykhailo Drapaty. He stated that he was responsible for the death of the soldier.

Drapatyi is known as a respected commander. Under his leadership, Ukraine reclaimed territory on the eastern front for the first time since Kyiv's counteroffensive in 2022.

Separately on Sunday, Russian troops announced that they had captured another village in the Sumy region in northern Ukraine. This raised concerns in Kyiv that Moscow could launch a new ground assault.

Russia claims to have captured several settlements in the region over the past few weeks. Russia has also amassed more than 50,000 soldiers on the other side of the border. Authorities in the area have evacuated more than 200 villages amid increasingly intense shelling.

In Russia, officials reported that an explosion collapsed a road bridge in the Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, on Saturday. The collapsed bridge disrupted passenger train travel to Moscow and resulted in the deaths of seven people.

Another railway bridge in the Kursk region was also blown up a few hours later, on Sunday morning. The explosion halted a freight train and injured its driver.

Authorities did not say who was behind the blast, but investigators said a criminal probe was underway.

Ukraine's large-scale attack occurred as Ukraine prepared to negotiate with the Russian side in Istanbul this Monday. The negotiations were held to explore the prospects of a ceasefire.

President Zelenskyy said he would send a delegation. Defense Minister Rustem Umerov is leading the delegation.

Zelensky, although previously skeptical about the seriousness of the Russian side, stated that he has set targets for the meeting. On social media, Zelenskyy expressed that Ukraine aims for an unconditional ceasefire and the return of prisoners and children who have been abducted.

Russia has stated that it has formulated its own version of peace terms. However, the Kremlin has refused to disclose them in advance. Russian President Vladimir Putin has also dismissed Turkey's proposal to hold the meeting at the leaders' level.

The Russian news agency reported that the Russian delegation has already headed to Istanbul on Sunday for the negotiations. Intense attacks launched by both sides occurred as Kyiv and Moscow sought to demonstrate that they were coming from a position of strength. (AP/AFP/REUTERS)