Headline Roundup • June 2nd, 2025
Ukraine Strikes Airfields Across Russia in Large-Scale Drone Attack
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Ukraine executed a drone attack on several Russian air bases, one located deep within Siberia, destroying 41 Russian aircraft that will cost the Kremlin an estimated $7 billion.
The Details: The "Spiderweb" operation involved smuggling 117 aerial drones on trucks and depositing them at the perimeters of the Russian air bases. The operation targeted four airfields: Dyagilevo in the Riazan region, Ivanovo in the Ivanovo region, Belaya air base in Russia's Irkutsk region in south-eastern Siberia, and Olenya air base in Russia's Murmansk region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the success of Spiderweb, stating that 34% of Russia's strategic cruise missile carriers were hit.
Key Quote: “Enemy strategic bombers are burning en masse in Russia," an official with Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) said, adding that Ukraine was conducting “a large scale special operation aimed at destroying enemy bomber aircraft.”
For Context: Sunday's strikes mark the first time since the Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, that Ukrainian forces have targeted Russian facilities in Siberia and the Far East. It also comes after Ukraine significantly escalated drone strikes into Russia in recent weeks, despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. On Monday the two nations met for peace talks in Istanbul that reportedly ended after an hour.
How the Media Covered It: NBC News (Lean Left bias) focused on the audacity of the attack and the blow it struck to Putin's pride, suggesting that the strike could impact the peace talks between Ukraine and Russia. Russian state media RT (Lean Right) detailed the technical aspects of the attack, including the types of drones used and the logistical planning behind the operation. It also emphasized the lack of casualties and the successful repelling of most strikes by Moscow. Both outlets highlighted the strike's timing, coming just ahead of the peace talks that took place in Istanbul today.
Revised by the AllSides staff (of humans) after a first draft from our custom AI. Learn more. Suggest an improvement to this summary.
Featured Coverage of this Story
It was a stunning, audacious attack whose widespread effects are only just becoming clear.
Ukraine managed to smuggle 117 aerial drones on the backs of trucks that deposited them at the perimeter of four Russian air bases — one of them deep inside Siberia some 2,500 miles from Ukraine's borders, according to Ukrainian officials.
While there are differing accounts on the extent of the ensuing damage of Sunday’s “Spiderweb” operation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said 40 Russian aircraft — 34% of Russia's strategic cruise missile carriers — were hit. Ukraine's security service, the SBU, put the estimated...
Sputnik / Vitaly Nevar
Military airfields in five Russian regions, including in Siberia and the Far East, have been targeted in coordinated drone attacks orchestrated by Kiev, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday. Ukrainian media has called it a major operation targeting Russian strategic aviation. According to Moscow, most of the strikes were repelled, with some resulting in material damage but no casualties.
The airfields are located in Murmansk Region in the north, Ivanovo and Ryazan regions in central Russia, Irkutsk Region in Siberia, and Amur Region in the Far East, the Russian...
An operation by Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) on Sunday hit 41 miltary aircraft, among them various types of strategic bombers that were lined up at four airfields inside Russia.
“Enemy strategic bombers are burning en masse in Russia," an official with the SBU said, adding that Ukraine was conducting “a large scale special operation aimed at destroying enemy bomber aircraft.”
The operation, dubbed Spiderweb ("Pavutyna"), targeted four airfields: Dyagilevo in Riazan region, Ivanovo in Ivanovo region, Belaya air base in Russia's Irkutsk region, which is located in south-eastern Siberia over...
