Ukrainian drone strikes expose Russian airfield vulnerabilities
The Ukrainian operation known as "Spiderweb" is sure to linger in Russian memory for years to come. Satellite imagery not only enabled analysts to assess the extent of the losses sustained at the Belyaya airbase but also exposed the Kremlin’s unsuccessful efforts to obscure from the international community the damage inflicted by Ukrainian drone strikes.
Operation "Spiderweb" involved simultaneous drone strikes on four significant Russian military airfields. These stations housed aircraft that were highly valuable to the Kremlin. Initial estimates suggested the destruction and damage of up to 40 aircraft. Max Boot, a commentator for the "Washington Post" and an expert with the American Council on Foreign Relations, compared the Ukrainian operation to the attack on Pearl Harbor, stating it must have been "an absolute shock to the Russians."
Significant losses for the Russians at the Belyaya base
Recent satellite images provide a clearer estimate of the damage. Jarosław Wolski, a Polish military analyst, reports that the attack on the Belyaya base resulted in the destruction of three Tu-95MS and three Tu-22M3 aircraft, with an additional Tu-95MS being damaged.
According to the analyst, the destruction of the Tu-95MS bombers could prove especially consequential for the trajectory of the war in Ukraine. In a post on the platform X, he underscored that the satellite imagery lays bare Russia’s unsuccessful efforts to conceal the extent of the damage from the international community.
"It also shows how Russians arranged the wreckage of the scrapped Tu-22M3 to mimic standing machines in the SAR spectrum. Clever but not effective against modern SAR," noted Jarosław Wolski, highlighting the accuracy of satellites using SAR technology.
Key Russian aircraft
The Tu-95MS are often referred to as Russian "bears," derived from their NATO code name (Bear).
Although these bombers have been in service for over seven decades, they remain a formidable platform for delivering a wide array of weaponry. Capable of carrying payloads of up to 44,000 pounds, they can be armed with Kh-101 cruise missiles—boasting a range of up to 2,800 miles—as well as both conventional and nuclear bombs. The Tu-95MS itself has an operational range exceeding 6,200 miles, underscoring its continued strategic relevance.
