Ukraine Drone⁢ Attack Damages Russian Strategic Bombers

‍ Updated⁤ June 03, 2025

A recent Ukraine drone attack deep inside‍ Russia has reportedly destroyed⁤ and‍ damaged several ⁣strategic bombers, according to open source analysts examining satellite imagery.⁤ The imagery, taken shortly after the attack, reveals the extent of the damage inflicted on the Russian air base.

the attack, which targeted at least ⁤four air bases, involved 117 unmanned aerial vehicles launched from containers near the targets. drone ⁤footage verified by Reuters confirms that several ⁣aircraft were hit at ⁤multiple ‍locations. ⁢Capella Space provided satellite images⁣ of the Belaya military air base in the Irkutsk region of Siberia,taken a⁤ day after the operation.

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites, ⁤which can penetrate cloud cover, captured the images. These images show what appears to be debris from several aircraft along the runway and in nearby protective areas. John ford, a research associate at the James martin Center for⁣ Nonproliferation Studies, analyzed the SAR imagery ⁢and drone footage. He concluded that two Tu-22 Backfires, long-range supersonic strategic bombers used in missile strikes‍ against Ukraine, were destroyed.

The imagery also⁣ suggests‍ that four Tu-95 strategic heavy bombers were either destroyed or severely⁢ damaged,ford ⁢added. Brady ⁢Africk, an open source intelligence analyst, concurred, stating that⁣ the attack on the Irkutsk air base ‍was “very successful.”

The targeted aircraft, a mix⁤ of Tu-22 and Tu-95 bombers, have ⁣been used by Russia to⁢ launch strikes against Ukraine. Africk noted that the Belaya air base also houses decoy aircraft,‍ which⁢ failed to‍ mislead the⁢ Ukrainian drones.

Drone video footage of the Olenya air base in Murmansk, also attacked, showed two burning bombers, believed to be Tu-95s, and⁣ a ⁤third⁢ Tu-95 hit by a large explosion. The Russian Defence Ministry acknowledged the attacks, stating that air defenses repelled assaults in three regions but that aircraft caught⁢ fire in Murmansk and Irkutsk.

Ukraine’s SBU security‍ agency claimed responsibility for the operation, dubbed “Spider’s Web,” asserting that 41 Russian warplanes were hit, causing an estimated $7 billion in damage. ‍Andriy Kovalenko, an official on Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, said ⁢13 planes were destroyed. The Ukrainian ⁤military added 12 aircraft to its⁣ tally of Russian wartime losses.

While Reuters⁢ could not independently‍ verify‍ the⁢ claims,some experts ⁤believe the operation ⁤will not halt Russia’s missile attacks on Ukraine. However, replacing⁤ the damaged planes, ⁤some of which are no longer in production, will be difficult. The Institute for the Study of⁤ War (ISW) suggests that the attack ⁤will likely force Russia to reconfigure its air defenses, potentially redistributing systems and deploying mobile air defense groups.

What’s next

The impact of the Ukraine drone attack on Russia’s ⁣strategic air capabilities ⁤remains to be seen.Further analysis ‍and monitoring will be necessary to ⁤assess the long-term consequences for both sides ‍of the conflict.