Russia Unable To Rebuild Air Force Half Year After Ukraine's Surprise Drone Wipeout

Half a year following Ukraine's devastating surprise drone attack on four military airfields deep inside Russia annihilated much of the Russian Air Force's strategic air assets, the Kremlin has been unable to rebuild the destroyed planes and weapons. 

With some of the drones hidden and then launched from trucks parked near the Russian airfields, the innovative assault not only penetrated the Kremlin's strategic air force, but targeted other sources essential to any potential rebuild. The scale of the attack was so vast that Russia has proven incapable of reassembling the weapons and technology essential for operating them. This has contributed to the ongoing failure of Russian forces in Ukraine. JL

New Voice of Ukraine reports:

Russia has not yet overcome the damage to its strategic aviation from a major Ukrainian drone operation in June 2025. On June 1, Ukraine's Security Service conducted the large-scale Operation Cobweb to destroy Russian strategic aviation aircraft. Simultaneous strikes on four military airfields deep inside Russia - Olenya in Murmansk Oblast, Belaya in Irkutsk Oblast, Dyagilevo in Ryazan Oblast and Ivanovo in Ivanovo Oblast - damaged 41 aircraft, including A-50, Tu-95, Tu-22M3 and Tu-160 models. "Despite all the Kremlin's attempts to conceal the real scale of the losses, Russia cannot overcome the consequences of this attack and restore its strategic aviation." 

Russia has not yet overcome the damage to its strategic aviation from a major Ukrainian drone operation in June 2025, sources told NV on Jan. 8, citing Western intelligence services.

"Despite all the Kremlin's attempts to conceal the real scale of the losses, Russia still cannot overcome the consequences of this attack and restore its strategic aviation potential," a source said.

On June 1, Ukraine's SBU Security Service conducted the large-scale and unique Operation Cobweb to destroy Russian strategic aviation aircraft. On June 2, the SBU confirmed that simultaneous strikes on four military airfields deep inside Russia damaged 41 aircraft, including A-50, Tu-95, Tu-22M3 and Tu-160 models.

Ukrainian drones targeted four airfields on Russian soil: Olenya in Murmansk Oblast, Belaya in Irkutsk Oblast, Dyagilevo in Ryazan Oblast and Ivanovo in Ivanovo Oblast. The strike on Belaya airbase marked the first Ukrainian attack on targets in Siberia since Russia's war against Ukraine began.

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Ukrainian one-of-a-kind drones used in Cobweb operation — NV sources

The operation was personally developed and coordinated by then-SBU head Vasyl Maliuk. Drone operators from the Alpha unit carried out the direct attack.