Are the surprise airfield attacks a turning point for Ukraine?

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Are the surprise airfield attacks a turning point for Ukraine?

2025-06-04 21:00:39

Paul Adams

Diplomatic reporter

ReportingKyiv, Ukraine
SBU A Screengrab for some drones issued by the Ukrainian authorities on Wednesday showing a plane in fire at an airport in RussiaSBU

A screen for some drones issued by the Ukrainian authorities on Wednesday

Three days later, Ukraine continues to digest the full effects of Spider operating sites, and a huge attack on Sunday on Russia’s strategic flight.

On Wednesday, the agency, which organized the attack, a Ukraine security service (SBU), issued additional and vital footage of the ongoing attacks, as well as confusing glimpses on how to perform the entire complex operation.

The satellite images that appeared since Sunday, which show the outline of the planes sitting at the airport runway in Olina, Ivanovo, Diagulevo and Billia, help also tell the success story of the unprecedented process.

For Ukrainian observers, the entire process is still, for a year and “.

“This can be considered one of the most wonderful operations in our history,” Roman Bouureli, the founder of Dibstati, a group of Ukrainian military analysts.

“We have shown that we can be strong, and we can be creative and we can destroy our enemies regardless of the extent of them.”

It is important to note that all the information that has appeared since Sunday has been issued by SBU itself.

It was successfully wiped, it is keen to throw the process at the best possible light. Her campaign has helped in the fact that the Kremlin said almost nothing.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday after distributing medals to SBU officers participating in the operation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated that 41 aircraft had been damaged or destroyed.

He said: “Half cannot be restored, and some of them will take years to fix it, if it can be restored at all.”

He added that if the ceasefire was in place, the Spider will not happen.

The latest four -minute set, SBU, shows a number of main details.

It was photographed from the perspective of some 117 drones, we see Russian strategic bombers and air warnings, warning and air control (AWACS) are chased.

Fires can be seen walking on a number of stricken planes.

For the first time, we get glimpses under the wings of some detonators, and revealed that they were already armed with Cruise missiles, which Russia used for its devastating effect on its air strikes on Ukraine.

The drones, which are transmitted from a separate pilot, sitting in Ukraine, carefully and accurately to cross points, including fuel tanks in the wings.

Some of the fiery balls also indicate that the tanks were full of fuel, ready to take off.

Planet Labs/Reuters, a satellite view shows a military plane, some of which were destroyed, at the Beya Air Force Base, near Stepnoy, IRKUTSK, Russia, 4 June 2025Kawkab Labs/Reuters

A satellite view shows a military plane, some of which were destroyed, at the Belaya Air Force Base on June 4

One of the important sections of the video shows drones in two Beriev A-50s, the giant AWACS plane that was first produced in the Soviet Union.

Of all the targeted aircraft through the Operation SPIRIOR network, A-50, with its radar, is able to see the targets and threats of more than 600 km (372 miles), are the most important.

Before the comprehensive invasion in 2022, it was believed that Russia was working about nine AS. Before last Sunday, up to three was dropped or damaged in a previous drone attack.

The latest shots strongly indicate that drones hit the circular radar domes in two parked A-50s at the Ivanovo Air Force Base, northeast of Moscow.

However, since the video salvation is cut at the moment of influence, it is difficult to check completely.

Satellite images, which clearly display the debris of many bombers, is not crucial when it comes to A-50.

But the Russian fleet of these decisive aircraft can retreat to at least four.

Defense analyst Sirhi Kozan told me: “Restarting the A-50 is currently unlikely, due to the difficulties facing import replacement and destroying production facilities.”

“As such, every loss of this type of aircraft is a strategic problem for Russia, which cannot be compensated quickly.”

Getty Images Beriev A-50 flying over a golden statue in Red Square during a military parade in 2020Gety pictures

Satellite images are not crucial when it comes to A-50, which is seen here over Moscow

Earlier on Wednesday, SBU presented a brief overview of other great features on Sunday: the use of specially created containers, installed on flat trucks, to transport armed drones to locations close to the four Russian air covers.

Two videos display a truck bearing what they seem to be two wooden houses, with the completion of windows and doors.

In one video clip, ceiling panels are clearly visible. Reports indicate that they were pulled or removed in another way before the attacks began, allowing dozens of drones stored at home to take off.

It is not known when or where the videos were filmed, although the visible snow next to the road in one of them indicates that it could have been weeks or months ago.

In another video clip, it was posted on the Russian Telegram channel on Sunday, a police officer was seen entering the back of a container in the aftermath of the attack.

After seconds, the container exploded, indicating that it may be loaded.

SBU drone appears inside wooden boxes with withdrawable surfacesSBU

SBU said that drones were hidden in a wooden cabinet hidden inside the trucks

How to assess the effect of such an amazing process?

“From a military point of view, this is a turning point in the war.”

“Because we were dealt with a major blow to Russia’s image and the capabilities of the Russian Federation.”

Shortly more than three months after Donald Trump reprimanded Volodimir Zelinsky, he told him that he “has no cards”, Ukraine offered Ribost.

“Ukraine has shown the entire world that Russia is actually weak and cannot defend itself internally,” said Kharabchenski.

But this does not mean that Russia is about to change the path.

After his recent conversation with Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump said the two leaders discussed Ukraine attacks.

“It was a good conversation,” President Trump has published the social truth, “but not a conversation leading to an immediate peace.”

“President Putin said, strongly, he would have to respond to the recent attack on airports.”

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