Security Service of Ukraine releases drone footage from Operation Spiderweb, indicating four Russian air bases were struck — not two

Screenshot of drone footage from Operation Spiderweb released by the SBU. Screenshot: Security Service of Ukraine (@SBUkr / Telegram)

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) earlier today released footage from Operation Spiderweb, a months-long plot involving dangerous work behind enemy lines. On June 1, that work resulted in Ukrainian drone strikes against multiple Russian military airfields. The video appears to confirm that four bases were struck, rather than the previously verified two.

The footage shows attacks on the following sites:

• Belaya air base in the Irkutsk Region
• Olenya airfield in the Murmansk Region
• Dyagilevo air base in the Ryazan Region
• Ivanovo Severny airfield in Ivanovo Region

Previously, independent OSINT analysts had found no verifiable satellite evidence of strikes on Dyagilevo or Ivanovo Severny.

In the footage from Belaya and Olenya, the drone feed cuts off as it approaches targeted aircraft. In contrast, footage from the Ivanovo Severny and Dyagilevo attacks shows FPV drones hitting the surface of the airfields without the feed being interrupted — most notably during the strike on a Russian A-50 early warning aircraft.

The SBU-released clips show drone strikes on a larger number of strategic and long-range bombers than was previously confirmed via satellite imagery. The footage includes a clear attack on an A-50, though it remains unclear whether the drones exploded or merely caused fires. Analysts note that some damage may not be visible due to the low resolution of satellite images.

The operation may have originally included a fifth target — Ukrainka air base in the Amur Region in Russia’s Far East. This theory is supported by a photograph showing SBU chief Vasyl Malyuk examining satellite images of all five airfields. However, on the day of the operation, reports surfaced that a truck carrying drones to Ukrainka had exploded en route and never reached the base.

The SBU claims the operation damaged 41 Russian military aircraft belonging to the country’s strategic aviation forces. These numbers diverge significantly from the estimates of OSINT analysts who examined before-and-after satellite imagery. According to the SBU, the damaged aircraft include A-50s, Tu-95s, Tu-22s, Tu-160s, as well as An-12 and Il-78 transport planes. However, the footage does not show any visible strikes on Tu-160 bombers.

SEE ALSO

• OSINT analysts confirm 13 Russian aircraft damaged by Ukrainian drone strikes in “historic” behind-the-lines Operation Spiderweb
• Owner of four trucks used to launch drones in Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb identified as 37-year-old native of Zhytomyr