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Ukraine’s Airbase Strikes Weaken Russia’s Ability to Launch Combined Air Attacks, WSJ Says

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Amira Barkhush
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Ukraine’s Airbase Strikes Weaken Russia’s Ability to Launch Combined Air Attacks, WSJ Says
Maxar satellite imagery captures Russian bombers and support aircraft parked on a refurbished tarmac at a strategically active northern airbase in Olenya, Russia, March 26, 2025. (Source: Maxar Technologies/Getty Images)

Ukraine launched coordinated strikes on four military airfields deep inside Russia on June 1, targeting over 40 combat aircraft, including Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3 strategic bombers.

According to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), which conducted operation Spider Web, the strikes damaged or destroyed 34% of Russia’s strategic cruise missile carriers. While precise numbers remain unconfirmed, reports suggest 41 aircraft were hit, with 10 completely destroyed beyond repair.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the loss of these long-range bombers, critical to Russia’s ability to carry out deep strikes against Ukraine, will severely weaken its air capabilities. Russia no longer manufactures the Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3 models, making such losses difficult to replace.

Disabling these aircraft also undermines Russia’s strategy of combined air assaults—overwhelming Ukrainian air defenses with drones while launching hard-to-intercept missiles.

“By killing the archers instead of intercepting the arrows, it’s a more effective way to degrade Russian capabilities,” said George Barros, an analyst at the Institute for the Study of War.

According to Military Balance+, a database maintained by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Russia possessed 54 Tu-22M3 and 58 Tu-95MS bombers prior to the SBU’s strike. However, the operational status of these aircraft remains uncertain, as many have been kept in storage and stripped for spare parts.

Justin Bronk, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London, noted that while it will take time to assess the full extent of the damage, the strike appears to have dealt a significant blow to Russia’s long-range aviation.

“Ukrainian special services have struck by far the heaviest blow of the war against the Russian Long Range Aviation bomber fleet,” Bronk said.

Later in the evening, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukraine’s drone strikes on Russian airbases represent the country’s most far-reaching operation since the start of the full-scale invasion.

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