As of October 2025, Ukraine announced a significant long-range operation in its ongoing conflict with Russia, executing its largest drone attack to date. Utilizing smuggled drones, Ukrainian forces launched strikes on 40 Russian warplanes across four military bases.
President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that the operation, dubbed “Spider’s Web,” involved 117 drones and aimed at eliminating “34% of [Russia’s] strategic cruise missile carriers.” This unprecedented mission was orchestrated by the SBU security service over a year and a half and uniquely involved drones concealed within wooden mobile cabins, which were strategically stationed near airbases for an opportune moment of engagement.
In response, Russia described the Ukrainian strikes, which impacted five regions, as a “terrorist act.” Meanwhile, Ukraine’s defense forces reported a substantial drone and missile assault on its territory overnight.
As the chaos unfolds, negotiators from both sides are set to meet in Istanbul, Turkey, for a second round of peace discussions amid dwindling hopes for resolution. Since the full-scale invasion launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin in February 2022, Moscow has asserted control over approximately 20% of Ukrainian land, including Crimea, annexed in 2014.
Zelensky took to social media to commend SBU chief Vasyl Maliuk on the “remarkable success” of the operation, noting that each of the 117 drones was piloted independently. Interestingly, he revealed that the planning office for the operation was located alarmingly close to the Russian FSB headquarters in one of their regions.
Moreover, Zelensky confirmed that all personnel involved had safely exited Russia prior to the strikes. According to SBU estimates, the damage inflicted on Russian strategic aviation is approximately $7 billion (£5 billion), with further details promised soon.
While independent verification of Ukraine’s claims remains pending, sources from the SBU confirmed that four Russian airbases—two located thousands of kilometers away from Ukraine—were targeted:
- Belaya in Irkutsk Oblast, Siberia
- Olenya in Murmansk Oblast, Russia’s extreme northwest
- Dyagilevo in central Ryazan Oblast
- Ivanovo in central Ivanovo Oblast
Among the aircraft reported damaged were Tu-95 and Tu-22M3 bombers, both capable of carrying nuclear arms, along with A-50 early warning aircraft. The entire operation was labeled “extremely complex logistically” by SBU sources.
Initially, FPV drones were smuggled into Russia, followed by mobile wooden cabins. Once on Russian soil, the drones were concealed beneath the cabin roofs on cargo trucks. At the precise moment, the roofs were opened remotely for the drones to take flight and strike the designated targets.
Governor Igor Kobzev of Irkutsk confirmed that the drones used in attacks on the Belaya military base in Sredniy, Siberia, were indeed launched from trucks. He assured the public that the launch site had been secured and posed no further danger.
In a later update, the Russian defense ministry validated that airbases across five regions were targeted and asserted that “all attacks were repelled” in locations such as Ivanovo and Ryazan. Fires were reported at facilities in Murmansk and Irkutsk following the drone launches, but were swiftly contained, with claims of no injuries reported. Additionally, authorities have detained several individuals associated with the attacks.
In a separate incident, Ukrainian defense officials reported that 472 drones, along with seven ballistic and cruise missiles, were deployed in a massive attack on Ukraine overnight, which appears to be one of the largest Russian drone offensives to date. Ukrainian forces asserted they successfully neutralized 385 aerial threats.
Tragically, Ukraine’s land forces also reported 12 personnel fatalities and over 60 injuries due to a Russian missile strike on a training center. Following this incident, Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi resigned, citing “a personal sense of responsibility for the tragedy.”