Spiderweb Operation: How Many Tu-95MSs, Tu-22M3s and A-50s Destroyed at Russian Airbases

On June 1, 2025, Ukraine’s Security Service (SSU) carried out a large-scale special operation — codenamed Pavutyna (Spiderweb) — targeting Russian strategic aviation assets.

The operation targeted multiple airbases of the Russian Aerospace Forces: Belaya, Ivanovo, Ukrainka, Olenya, and Dyagilevo.

Preliminary data indicate significant losses to Russian strategic aviation as a result of the Ukrainian drone attack.

According to available information, at least eight Tu-95MS strategic bombers, twelve Tu-22M3 bombers, two A-50 airborne early warning aircraft, one An-12 transport aircraft, and possibly one Il-78M aerial refueling aircraft were hit.

The final assessment of the losses is still ongoing. A complete set of satellite images from all the targeted air bases, as well as full video footage from the strike sites, has yet to be released.

Moreover, the footage published by the SSU is incomplete: it does not show the damage to one of the Tu-95MS bombers, which is visible in satellite imagery.

In the absence of comprehensive visual confirmation, these assessments remain preliminary. Nevertheless, the available evidence already points to an operation of unprecedented scale that has significantly degraded the strategic capabilities of the Russian Federation.

Belaya Air Base

Belaya airbase is located in Russia’s Irkutsk region, 18 km northwest of Usolye-Sibirskoye and approximately 85 km from Irkutsk.

It hosts the 326th Heavy Bomber Aviation Division, which is part of the 37th Air Army.

A satellite image released by aviation observer AviVector, taken at 7:30 a.m. on May 31, showed the following aircraft on the airfield:

• 7 Tu-160s,
• 6 Tu-95MSs,
• 2 Il-78Ms,
• 6 An-26s,
• 2 An-12s, 39 Tu-22M3s, and
• 30 MiG-31s.

Based on these images and the composition of the 326th Division, several units were likely present at the time of the strike.

The 200th Heavy Bomber Regiment, which operates 15 Tu-22M3s of the 200th Guards Heasvy Bomber Aviation Regiment (tail numbers: 01, 02, 21, 22, 25, 26, 27, 30, 31, 33, 34, 37, 46, 58, 67), is permanently stationed at Belaya air base.

Aircraft from the 444th Heavy Bomber Regiment, with 14 Tu-22M3s (tail numbers: 03, 24, 37, 42, 43, 47, 48, 50, 51, 53, 54, 55, 56, 58), were also likely present.

Tu-95MS aircraft from the 79th Red Banner Heavy Bomber Regiment — based at Ukrainka village — may have been deployed to Belaya. This regiment fields 14 Tu-95MS bombers: 01 Irkutsk, 02 Mozdok, 03, 04 Kurgan, 06, 07, 10, 20, 21, 22, 26, 28, 41, 43.

The presence of Tu-95MSs from the 182nd Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment — operating 16 such aircraft (45, 47, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, Blagoveshchensk, 60, 61, 62) — cannot be ruled out.

The An-12 transport aircraft spotted in satellite images may belong to the 181st Separate Mixed Aviation Squadron. The Il-78Ms likely belong to the 203rd Guards Orlovsky Aviation Regiment.

What was hit at Belaya airbase

At the Belaya air base, one Tu-95MS strategic bomber — RF-94120 Kozelsk, assigned to the 184th Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment — was hit.

In addition, three more Tu-95MS aircraft, whose tail numbers have not been identified, were damaged. Drones also struck seven Tu-22M3 bombers.

Olenya Airbase

Olenya is located on the Kola Peninsula in Russia’s Murmansk region, 92 km south of Murmansk near Olenegorsk.

The airbase is part of the 22nd Guards Donbas Red Banner Heavy Bomber Division and is home to the 40th Mixed Aviation Regiment, which operates An-26 aircraft and Mi-26 and Mi-8/17 helicopters.

The base may also host bombers from the 121st Guards Sevastopol Red Banner Heavy Bomber Regiment, based in Engels.

This regiment operates seven modernized Tu-160M bombers named Vasily Reshetnikov, Ivan Yarygin, Nikolay Kuznetsov, Vasily Senko, Valery Chkalov, Andrey Tupolev, and Valentin Bliznyuk.

According to open sources, all seven have reportedly been observed at Olenya.

In addition to the modernized aircraft, the 121st regiment includes nine Tu-160 bombers: Pavel Taran, Alexander Golovanov, Ilya Muromets, Alexander Molodchy, Vitaly Kopylov, Alexander Novikov, Igor Sikorsky, Vladimir Sudets, and Alexey Plokhov.

Aircraft from the 184th Heavy Bomber Regiment — operating 18 Tu-95MS bombers — could also have been stationed at Olenya. These include aircraft named Saratov, Vorkuta, Moscow, Voronezh, Kaluga, Veliky Novgorod, Krasnoyarsk, Dubna, Samara, Kozelsk, Izborsk, Sevastopol, Smolensk, as well as tail-numbered planes: 17, 18, 23, 24, and 25.

Two damaged Tu-22M3s likely belonged to the 52nd Guards Heavy Bomber Regiment, which operates 23 aircraft of this type.

This unit includes bombers with tail numbers 01, 06, 12, 15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 26, 28, 35, 36, 38, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 48, as well as the registered planes Mikhail Shidlovsky, Yuriy Deineko and Alexander Bereznyak.

What was hit at Olenya airbase

The footage released by the SSU captured the damage to two Tu-95MS strategic bombers with tail numbers RF-94132 Voronezh and RF-94257 Chelyabinsk.

RF-94257 is assigned to the 43rd Guards Center for Combat Employment and Retraining of Long-Range Aviation Flight Personnel, while RF-94132 belongs to the 184th Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment.

In addition, two more Tu-95MS with unidentified tail numbers were hit, as well as a transport aircraft, likely an An-12 RF-12560.

Footage from the Olenya airfield also showed damage to two Tu-22M3 bombers.

Ivanovo Air Base

Ivanovo Air Base is located north of the city of Ivanovo in Russia’s Ivanovo region.

It hosts the 610th Center for Combat and Flight Personnel Training, which has been subordinate to the 4th Center in Lipetsk since 2010.

The base is also home to the 144th Aviation Regiment, which operates A-50 long-range airborne early warning and control aircraft.

What was hit at Ivanovo airbase

Footage released shows two A-50U aircraft damaged in a drone strike. These aircraft are the part of the 610th Center for Combat and Flight Personnel Training.

According to the OSINT group CyberBoroshno, one of the affected aircraft has been identified as RF-50608 — the same aircraft previously damaged in Belarus, later repaired, and returned to service.

This time, it was reportedly hit multiple times, and is unlikely to return to operational status.

The second aircraft has not been definitively identified, but is believed to be either RF-50601, last observed in flight in March 2025, or possibly RF-94268.

If confirmed, the strike would disable two of the four operational A-50U aircraft in Russia’s inventory.

Dyagilevo Air Base

Located on the western outskirts of Ryazan, Dyagilevo Air Base serves as a training and combat center for Russia’s long-range aviation.

It hosts the 43rd Center for Combat Employment and Retraining of Long-Range Aviation Flight Personnel, as well as the 203rd Independent Guards Air Refueling Aviation Regiment.

Adjacent to the base is the 360th Aviation Repair Plant, which services strategic bombers and transport aircraft.

What was hit at Dyagilevo airbase

According to video released, three Tu-22M3 bombers were damaged at the base during a drone strike.

According to currently available materials, the strikes have resulted in confirmed damage to at least:

• 8 Tu-95MS strategic bombers
• 12 Tu-22M3 bombers
• 2 A-50 airborne early warning aircraft
• 1 An-12 transport aircraft
• Possibly 1 Il-78M aerial refueling tanker