Mission that Destroyed 41 Russian Bombers was in the Planning for 18 Months

News media around the world are abuzz with reports of Ukraine’s daring and historic attack on June 1 against Russia’s five military airfields that destroyed 41 of its long-range bombers.

The operation, dubbed “Spiderweb,” was in the planning stages for 18 months and personally overseen by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and carried out by head of the Security Service of Ukraine Vasyl Malyuk, according to Ukrainian sources such as Pravda.

Ukrainian news media stated that the operation was extremely complex from a logistical point of view.

“The SBU first transported FPV drones to Russia, and later mobile wooden houses. Later, on the territory of the Russian Federation, the drones were hidden under the roofs of houses, already placed on trucks. At the right moment, the roofs of the houses were opened remotely, the drones flew to hit the Russian bombers,” the story said.

“The people who participated in this historic special operation have been in Ukraine for a long time. So, if the Putin regime demonstratively detains someone, it will be another staged performance for the domestic audience.”

The Ukrainian drone attack that destroyed more than 40 Russian military planes was carried out deep in Russia’s territory, while Russia pounded Ukraine with missiles and drones a day before the two sides meet for a new round of direct talks in Istanbul.

The drones reportedly hit 41 planes stationed at several airfields on Sunday, afternoon, June 1, including A-50, Tu-95 and Tu-22M aircraft, the official said. Moscow has previously used Tupolev Tu-95 and Tu-22 long-range bombers to launch missiles at Ukraine, while A-50s are used to coordinate targets and detect air defenses and guided missiles.

Russia’s Defense Ministry in a statement confirmed the attacks, which spanned five airfields. The FPV drones damaged aircraft and sparked fires on air bases in the Irkutsk region, more than 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles) from Ukraine, as well as Russia’s northern Murmansk, it said. Strikes were repelled in the Amur region in Russia’s Far East and in the western regions of Ivanovo and Ryazan, the ministry said.

Nonetheless, Ukrainian officials expressed hope that negotiations on ending the three-year war can resume. The attack came the same day as Zelenskyy said Ukraine will send a delegation to Istanbul for a new round of direct peace talks with Russia on Monday. In a statement on Telegram, Zelenskyy said that Defense Minister Rustem Umerov will lead the Ukrainian delegation. “We are doing everything to protect our independence, our state and our people,” Zelenskyy said.

Meanwhile, Russia on Sunday launched the biggest number of drones — 472 — on Ukraine since the full-scale invasion in February 2022, Air Force of Ukraine said.

What is historically monumental about this attack is that Ukraine, which is honeycombed with Ukrainian traitors and Russian collaborators and provocateurs, shielded this secret from Moscow.