Only 7 Russian bombers take part in attack on Ukraine after Operation Spiderweb - Media
Illustrative photo: Russia used Tu-95 bombers for strikes on Ukraine (Getty Images)
Operation Spiderweb has indeed dealt a significant blow to Russia's strategic aviation. For its overnight attack on Ukraine, it launched only seven of its bombers, Defense Express reports.
The outlet reminded that during the night of June 6, the Russian forces used 36 Kh-101 cruise missiles for the attack, which were launched from strategic bombers.
Sources at Defense Express reported that the enemy managed to involve only five Tu-95MS and two Tu-160 bombers in the strike. At the same time, the Russian forces loaded them with the maximum number of missiles. Previously, each bomber would typically launch 1–3 missiles, but this time they averaged around five per aircraft.
Journalists also noted that some missiles may have fallen on Russian territory, so the total number of missiles launched was likely higher.
A similar situation was last observed at the end of August 2024, when 11 Tu-95MS aircraft launched 77 Kh-101 cruise missiles.
Defense Express explains that Russian forces typically avoided fully loading their bombers with missiles to reduce stress on the aircraft and extend their operational life. For the same reason, they deployed not only Tu-95MS bombers but also the Tu-160s.
This was only the fourth time since 2023 that the enemy used the Tu-160. Interestingly, there have already been two such cases in 2025. Before this, Russia employed the Tu-160 during a massive attack on May 26.
Operation Spiderweb
On June 1, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) struck 41 enemy aircraft using its drones. Most of these were strategic bombers.
On Wednesday, June 4, the SBU released unique footage showing how drones attacked Russian aviation.
