Ukraine on 1 June carried out a large-scale attack on multiple airbases in Russia, causing substantial damage. As per Ukrainian officials, they used swarms of FPV drones to target the airfields which were already placed near the target airfields.
Now details have emerged how the drones reached the airbases undetected, and how the attack was launched.
Ukraine used First-person view (FPV) drones, where an operator can view what’s in front of the drone using its cameras. When aircraft were spotted, they were targeted from weapons carried on the drones, ensuring very close-range precise strikes.
This will be in textbooks.
— Maria Avdeeva (@maria_avdv) June 1, 2025
Ukraine secretly delivered FPV drones and wooden mobile cabins into Russia. The drones were hidden under the roofs of the cabins, which were later mounted on trucks.
At the signal, the roofs opened remotely. Dozens of drones launched directly from the… pic.twitter.com/sJyG3WyYYI
The drones were somehow smuggled into Russia much earlier, and were hidden inside mobile wooden cabins loaded onto trucks. The drones were hidden on the roof of the cabins, with a lid on the roof that can be opened remotely.
As per Ukrainian media, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) first sent FPV drones into Russia. Later, they shipped mobile wooden houses separately. Once inside Russia, the drones were placed on the hidden compartment on the roof of the cabins, and the cabins were loaded onto tractor-trailers. Photos of the hidden cabins inside the wooden containers show several rows of quadcopter drones on them.
Ukrainian Security Service has been preparing operation "Spiderweb" for 1,5 years. Drones were smuggled into Russia and prepared to be launched from wooden mobile homes placed on civilian trucks. Drones were launched from distance and made real time video of hits #SBU #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/jpsj5E57iK
— Бойові Бджоли / The Battle Bees (@battle_bees) June 1, 2025
SBU used locals to drive the trucks to the target locals, who then parked the trucks near the airbases, as per instructions. They perhaps didn’t know what they were carrying, as the drones were hidden in roof of the cabins, not inside.
After parking the vehicles, the drivers were instructed to leave the places. When all the trucks were placed at the desired locations near the airbases in Belaya, Diaghilevo, Olenya and Ivanovo, the operation began.
At the right moment, SBU remotely opened the roofs of the trucks, and one by one, drones started to fly out, stunning the locals. Footage provided by Ukrainian officials show what they say through the drone cameras, lines of Russian bombers and other aircraft, while the operator shooting onboard missiles at them.
BREAKING 🇺🇦vs🇷🇺: This might be one of the most badass moments of this whole war. Ukraine tricked random Russian truck drivers into hauling their FPV drones deep into Russia, right near nuclear bomber airfields. No clue what they were moving.
— Mario 🇺🇸🇵🇱🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@PawlowskiMario) June 1, 2025
Then boom 💥 Ukraine unloaded those… pic.twitter.com/OrLyZB4CqY
Igor Kobzev, governor of Irkutsk, confirmed that drones that attacked the military base in Sredniy in Siberia were launched from a truck.
When military uses traditional million-dollar UAVs to launch missile attacks, the UAVs fly thousands of feet above ground, providing very blurry image of the target. In contrast, Ukraine’s low-cost drones flew just few feet above the target planes, providing a very clear view to the operators.
Ukraine didn’t just stop at remotely attacking the airbases with drones, they also took care of the trucks that carried the drones. In a stunt that is seen only in Hollywood movies, they also rigged the trucks with explosives.
Booom 💥
— Mario 🇺🇸🇵🇱🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@PawlowskiMario) June 1, 2025
Ukraine just pulled off some next-level Bond shit. That truck full of drones? Russians standing around like clueless NPCs, one of them climbs in, BOOM. Ukrainians rigged it with a self-destruct device. Straight Trojan horse move.
And get this, they’d been planning this… pic.twitter.com/yijbq8dZB1
Videos show that when Russian forces tried to enter the trucks after the drones had flown out, the trucks exploded into giant fireballs.
It looks again as though Ukraine used unsuspecting truck drivers to deliver the drone trailers. One driver got out to inspect his trailer and a bomb detonated reportedly killing him. pic.twitter.com/r0zq6Lzh31
— ayden (@squatsons) June 1, 2025
One curious truck driver was reportedly killed when he went back to the truck to investigate after seeing the strange incident of drones flying out from the vehicle he had just parked. One truck driver suspected to be involved in the operation has been detained by Russian police.
👀🚘 Trucks from which Ukrainian FPV drones were launched against Russian airbases.
— MAKS 25 🇺🇦👀 (@Maks_NAFO_FELLA) June 1, 2025
💥 After the final FPV drone launch, a self-destruct mechanism activated. pic.twitter.com/hZLMMbVxR2
As per Ukrainian officials, they have been planning this operation for 1-1.5 years, codenamed Operation Spiderweb. SBU added that people involved in the operation returned to Ukraine from Russia long ago. Therefore, Russia will be able to arrest only drivers and others associated with the trucks, who had no knowledge about Operation Spiderweb.
By smuggling drones deep into Russia on trucks and then launching them from very close range, Ukraine was able to precisely target Russian military aircraft parked at the airfields. As per Ukraine, they were able to hit over 40 aircraft, including Tu-95 and Tu-22M3 bombers, and at least one A-50 airborne early warning aircraft.
Notably, Russian strategic bombers Tu-95 and Tu-22M3 are no longer in production, and therefore the destroyed aircraft can’t be replenished on short notice. SBU estimates total Russian loss to be more than $2 billion.
Using drones smuggled deep into Russia is a noble way of military attack that Ukraine used on 1st June. This shows how airbases with multiple military aircraft worth billions of dollars can be destroyed using drones that cost less than $500, and good old fashioned clandestine operation to smuggle them in enemy country and find gullible truck drivers to drive them to the target locations.
