‘Absolutely Brilliant Result’ – Zelensky Says All Operatives in ‘Spiderweb’ Drone Op in Russia Safe

 

Zelensky Hails $7 Billion Strike on Russian Warplanes as Historic Operation

Late Sunday night, President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that all Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) operatives involved in a daring, long-planned drone strike on Russian airfields had safely returned home. The mission, codenamed Spiderweb, inflicted an estimated $7 billion in damage on Russia’s strategic aviation, striking a major blow to the Kremlin’s war capabilities.

"Not everything can be disclosed, but these are Ukrainian actions that will certainly go down in history," Zelensky said, praising the operation.

The president revealed that the mission took one year, six months, and nine days from planning to execution—Ukraine’s longest-range and most sophisticated strike to date. SBU personnel involved in the mission were successfully extracted from Russian territory before the attack.

"A truly brilliant result—achieved solely by Ukraine," Zelensky wrote in a Facebook post, adding that he personally oversaw the operation throughout its development. He expressed gratitude to SBU Chief Lt. Gen. Vasyl Malyuk for commanding the mission and instructed the agency to publicly share any permissible details about the outcome.

According to the SBU, the coordinated drone attack struck at least five Russian airfields—Belaya, Dyagilevo, Olenya, Ivanovo, and others—located across the Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ryazan, and Amur regions. Intelligence sources confirmed that more than 40 Russian aircraft were damaged or destroyed, including high-value models such as the A-50 airborne early warning aircraft and long-range Tu-95 and Tu-22M3 bombers.

The agency stated that the strike damaged 34 percent of Russia’s strategic cruise missile carriers.

"Seven billion U.S. dollars—that’s the estimated value of the Russian strategic aviation assets destroyed during this special operation," the SBU said in an official statement released June 1.

Photos accompanying the statement show SBU chief Malyuk standing beside a schematic map of the operation, underscoring the precision and planning behind the strike.

Sources revealed that the drones used in the mission were smuggled into Russia and hidden beneath wooden structures mounted on trucks near the targeted airbases. At the designated time, the drones were remotely launched, catching the Russian forces by surprise.

Zelensky underscored that Ukraine will continue taking action to force Russia to end its war of aggression. “Ukraine is defending itself, and rightly so. We are doing everything to make Russia realize this war must end. Russia started this war—Russia must finish it.”