EventRU

Spiderweb

SBU deep-strike on 1 June 2025 that destroyed Russian strategic bombers at their home bases.

Last refreshed: 9 June 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic

Key Question

How did Ukraine destroy Russian strategic bombers without sending a single soldier across the border?

Timeline for Spiderweb

#19 6 Jun

Ukraine hits Baltic Fleet at Kronstadt

Russia-Ukraine War 2026

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Background

Operation Spiderweb was a Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) covert operation on 1 June 2025 that destroyed or damaged Russian strategic bombers at Engels-2 and Diaghilevo airfields using pre-positioned explosive devices. It was the largest single strike on Russian long-range aviation in the full-scale war.

The operation's first anniversary on 1 June 2026 served as the framing anchor for Ukraine's ongoing deep-strike campaign. The Kronstadt naval drone wave on 6 June 2026, hitting the Baltic Fleet's home base, was described in Ukrainian commentary as a Spiderweb-lineage operation, showing Ukraine's continued capacity to strike strategic Russian assets hundreds of kilometres from the front.

Common Questions

What was Operation Spiderweb and how did Ukraine pull it off?

Operation Spiderweb (1 June 2025) was an SBU operation that destroyed Russian strategic bombers at Engels-2 and Diaghilevo by detonating pre-positioned charges placed inside aircraft hangars by recruited insiders, without any Ukrainian personnel crossing the border.Source: Security Service of Ukraine

Which Russian bombers were destroyed in Operation Spiderweb?

Tu-22M3 and Tu-95MS strategic bombers at Engels-2 and Diaghilevo airfields were destroyed or severely damaged.

How far inside Russia is Engels airfield from Ukraine?

Engels-2 airfield near Saratov is roughly 850km from the Ukrainian border, well beyond the range of most Ukrainian artillery and conventional missile systems at the time.

Why is the Spiderweb anniversary significant in June 2026?

The 1 June 2026 anniversary coincided with Ukraine's largest drone wave of the war, hitting the Baltic Fleet at Kronstadt, signalling continued deep-strike ambition in Spiderweb's lineage.Source: Lowdown briefing

Source Material

Operation Spiderweb

How the World Sees Them

Russia

Moscow acknowledged damage at the airfields but has not publicly accepted the full scope of aircraft losses. The strike forced a review of base security for strategic bomber fleets.

Ukraine

Ukraine views Spiderweb as proof that asymmetric deep-strike can degrade Russian strategic aviation without air parity. The anniversary was used to signal continued will and capability.

Western allies

NATO states viewed Spiderweb as a demonstration of Ukrainian intelligence penetration depth, feeding debate over long-range weapon transfers and target-approval thresholds.