Yesterday, the world witnessed a turning point in modern warfare.
Operation Spider Web (Павутина), launched by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), marked a new chapter in technological warfare — carefully planned and precisely executed to target key Russian airbases deep within enemy territory.
SUSK President Daria Furtak breaks down what happened, why it matters, and why this is being hailed as one of the most sophisticated military operations in modern history.
Key Facts:
🔸117 FPV drones used in the operation.
Ukraine’s intelligence services had been training artificial intelligence (AI) systems that would enable its drones to recognize enemy equipment, including Soviet-era bombers, using images obtained from
military museums.
🔸41 Russian aircraft destroyed or damaged.
Among them: strategic nuclear-capable Tu-95 and Tu-22M3 bombers, and A-50 early-warning warplanes
🔸34% of Russia’s strategic bomber fleet eliminated
🔸Estimated damage: $7 billion.
🔸Operation planning duration: 18 months.
🛠 The SBU first smuggled FPV drones into Russia, followed by mobile wooden cabins.
“Once on Russian territory, the drones were hidden under the roofs of these cabins, which had been placed on cargo vehicles,” one official said.
“At the right moment, the roofs were remotely opened, and the drones took off to strike the Russian bombers.”
🛡 A precise, low-cost strike with strategic impact— it’s what analyst are calling one of the most sophisticated operations in the modern history of warfare.
📚 Sources:
🔗www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1ld7ppre9vo
🔗www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/02/operation-spiderweb-visual-guide-ukraine-drone-attack-russian-aircraft
🔗www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/ukraine-stages-major-attack-russian-aircraft-with-drones-security-official-says-2025-06-01
🔗https://youtu.be/okW0qI1O8OE?si=Tg4Dln7tGq0H975F