Deep web. Ukraine used drones hidden in mobile huts to strike airbases thousands of kilometres inside Russia
Drones used in the attack. Photos: Security Service of Ukraine
Ukraine conducted a wave of drone attacks on five Russian military airbases, striking targets thousands of kilometres from the border in regions as remote as Murmansk and Irkutsk. The “Operation Web” attacks utilized a novel tactic, with drones launched from trucks positioned in close proximity to the airfields. Russia’s Ministry of Defence confirmed that the strikes caused fires and damaged “several aviation units” in the Murmansk and Irkutsk regions. Here’s what we know so far.
What Happened
The coordinated strikes on Sunday targeted long-range aviation airfields in the Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ryazan, Ivanovo, and Amur regions of Russia. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) orchestrated the attack, dubbed “Operation Pautina” (Operation Web/Spiderweb), which Ukrainian media sources claim was more than a year and a half in the planning.
The airbases hit include Dyagilevo in the Ryazan region, Belaya in Irkutsk, Olenya in the Murmansk region, and a base in Ivanovo. An attack on the Ukrainka airbase in the Amur region failed.
The operation involved smuggling FPV drones into Russia, where they were reportedly concealed within mobile huts mounted on trucks. According to the Ukrainian sources, at the designated time, the roofs of these structures opened remotely, allowing the drones to launch their attacks from close proximity to the airfields.
It’s unclear exactly how the drones were operated. Footage from the drones themselves, showing burning airplanes, was published by Ukrainian outlets. It suggests that a drone operator in Ukraine was able to control and navigate the drones remotely, indicating a lack or failure of electronic warfare countermeasures at the Russian military airfields.
Damage and Claims
Ukrainian media published a photograph of the head of the agency, Vasyl Malyuk, reviewing a diagram of the operation. The diagram, as analyzed by Mediazona, identifies the airfields targeted in the attack.
The Russian Ministry of Defence acknowledged the strikes, stating that its forces had “repelled” the attacks on bases in the Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur regions.
However, it confirmed that drone launches near the airfields in the Murmansk and Irkutsk regions had resulted in “the ignition of several aviation units.” The ministry stated the fires were extinguished and that no military personnel were harmed.
Sources in the SBU claim the operation successfully hit more than 40 Russian aircraft. The targets included strategic bombers such as the Tu-95 and Tu-22M3, as well as the A-50 airborne early warning and control aircraft.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence claimed that “some of the participants” of the attacks have since been detained.
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