Ukraine's 'Spider Web' Operation: Inside Russia's Drone Attacks | BBC Analysis

Operation Spider Web Unveiled

• 🇺🇦 Ukraine launched "Operation Spider Web" on June 1st, claiming over 100 drone attacks targeting military sites across Russia.
• 🎯 The operation is described as audacious and unprecedented, with Ukraine stating drones exclusively targeted military equipment used against them.
• 🗺️ BBC Verify has found evidence of attacks at four Russian air bases, with one location being thousands of kilometers from Ukraine.

Targets and Damage Assessment

• 💥 At Ballaya air base, satellite imagery suggests three TU95 long-range bombers were badly damaged or destroyed, with other aircraft also sustaining damage.
• ✈️ Footage from Iyanova air base shows what are likely two Beriev A50 early warning aircraft being approached by drones, though satellite analysis for this specific location is inconclusive.
• 🇷🇺 Russia claims all attacks were repelled at airfields in Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur regions, but BBC Verify cannot confirm this; however, the occurrence of attacks and some damage is undisputed.

The Planning and Execution of the Attacks

• ⏳ The operation, directed by the chief of Ukraine's security service, was reportedly 18 months in the planning.
• 🚚 Drones and wooden cabins were smuggled into Russia, with drones hidden under cabin roofs before being transported near targets on trucks.
• 🔓 The cabins' roofs were opened remotely, allowing drones to launch, as evidenced by footage near Ballaya Air Base.
• 🤖 Drones, identified as quadcopters capable of carrying explosives, were sometimes flown by pilots and sometimes by AI along pre-planned routes when signals were lost.

Impact and Implications of the Operation

• 📉 The attacks have hurt Russia's military capability, representing a significant portion of Russia's strategic bombing force.
• 🛡️ The operation exposed Russian vulnerabilities and security lapses, as these air bases should have been better secured.
• 🌍 While unlikely to fundamentally change the conflict, the attacks have demonstrated a new type of warfare and signaled to Russia that it is not safe on its own territory.