Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb: 18 months in the planning, 41 Russian bombers hit – photos

On 1 June 2025, after over 18 months of preparation, the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) carried out a special operation codenamed Pavutyna (Spiderweb), striking 41 Russian strategic aircraft.

Source: Ukrainska Pravda source in the SSU

Details: The operation, which was overseen by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and executed by SSU chief Vasyl Maliuk, was logistically complex, the source emphasised.

Quote: "First the SSU transported first-person view drones to Russia, then mobile wooden crates. Once in Russian territory, the drones were concealed under the roofs of these crates, which had been mounted on lorries. At the designated time, the roofs were opened remotely and the drones took off to strike Russian bombers."

Ukrainska Pravda has obtained a photograph from the operation’s planning phase.

Quote: "The operatives involved in this historic operation are safely back in Ukraine. Any detentions by Putin’s regime would be staged for domestic propaganda."

Background: 

• On the afternoon of 1 June 2025, Ukraine’s Security Service launched drone attacks on Russian military airfields, targeting strategic bombers and reportedly damaging up to 41 aircraft.
• Russian media later reported that Ukrainian drones had been deployed from lorries parked at petrol stations.

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