(Kyiv) – The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has confirmed the successful execution of a coordinated special operation that struck four Russian military airfields on Sunday, June 1, targeting strategic aviation hubs deep inside Russian territory. The airfields hit include Belaya, Dyagilevo, Olenya and Ivanovo, where multiple Russian aircraft were reportedly destroyed or heavily damaged.
Sources within the SBU revealed that aircraft at these sites are currently burning as a result of the operation, code-named “Pavutyna”, which translates to “Web” in English. The move marks a significant intelligence-led strike deep behind enemy lines and is being described as one of Ukraine’s boldest actions to date in degrading Russian air power.
Preliminary damage assessments suggest that Russian aviation losses from the operation have exceeded £1.57 billion (US$2 billion). This includes multiple aircraft believed to be part of the Russian Federation’s long-range strike capabilities. Ukrainian officials have sarcastically noted that Russia has now experienced the “true meaning of demilitarisation” – a term repeatedly misused by the Russian dictator in his attempts to justify the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Earlier, Ukrainian defence officials had warned of signs that Russia was planning new missile strikes against Ukraine using strategic bombers. The success of this operation may now delay or disrupt those plans, at least in the short term.
The SBU’s action also serves as a warning to Moscow that Ukraine has both the capability and the will to strike far beyond the front lines, turning the idea of “demilitarisation” back onto Russian soil. The operation has once again demonstrated that while Russia continues its aggression against Ukraine, its own infrastructure is increasingly vulnerable.
This is not the first time the SBU has struck inside Russia, but the scale and timing of this mission – just as the Russian regime appeared poised for new air assaults – highlights Ukraine’s evolving and increasingly precise intelligence operations. It also underscores the rising cost of the war for the Kremlin, which continues to lose expensive aircraft and military assets even as it funnels more men and machinery to the front.
Ukraine’s SBU, under the leadership of Vasyl Malyuk, has taken a leading role in countering Russian aggression, and this operation further cements its reputation as a key instrument in Ukraine’s defence strategy. Officials involved in the strike remain tight-lipped about the specific tools or methods used.
