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With Operation Spider’s Web, Ukraine inflicted the worst onslaught connected Russian aerial powerfulness since World War II. The last harm is yet to beryllium determined, but 1 tally is 9 Tu-95s and 3 Tu-22M3 bombers gone, on with an A-50 "Mainstay" radar level and an unlucky An-22 transport plane.
Whatever the last count, the strategical interaction is clear. Never earlier person drones taken retired a large chunk of a nuclear-capable bomber force. Unlike tanks, Russian President Vladimir Putin cannot regenerate his bombers due to the fact that nary are inactive successful production. They’ll beryllium chopping up the wreckage for parts erstwhile the smoldering carcasses chill down.
Here’s what Putin’s lost, and wherefore the U.S. should beryllium worried astir drone threats from China.
Before Sunday, Russia’s aerial unit had astir 55 Tu-95 Bear bombers and arsenic galore arsenic 57 Tu-22 bombers. Russia’s bombers are not aeronautically impressive, but they present lethal Russian cruise missiles, hypersonic missiles and, of course, they tin beryllium equipped with atomic weapons, too.
In this representation taken from video released June 1, 2025, by a root successful the Ukrainian Security Service shows a Ukrainian drone striking Russian planes heavy successful Russia's territory. (Ukrainian Security Service via AP)
The Tu-95 "Bear" is that ugly, four-engine level with contra-rotating propellers and the agelong refueling probe supra the cockpit. Since 2007, Putin has utilized the Bear to harass U.S. and NATO airspace. Don’t hide a brace of Tu-95 Bears barged into Alaskan airspace on with 2 Chinese planes past year, which is emblematic behaviour for them.
The Tu-22M3 "Backfire" is simply a supersonic pitchy that was expected to beryllium sleek, but turned retired gawky similar astir Soviet designs. The Tu-22’s Cold War ngo was to motorboat high-speed cruise missiles astatine U.S. Navy ships. Instead, Tu-22 squadrons ended up bombing Syria a decennary ago. The Tu-95 and Tu-22 squadrons nary uncertainty thought they were hotshots. Until Sunday.
Ukraine’s crushed was wide enough. Russian tactics are vile. Armed Tu-95s and Tu-22s instrumentality disconnected from their bases, scope altitude, alert to a designated point, and motorboat cruise missiles against Ukraine, each portion staying wrong the sanctuary of Russian airspace. Ukraine’s aerial defenses bash a large occupation knocking down inbound missiles and drones. But they can’t scope acold capable to instrumentality retired the bombers portion successful flight.
During Putin’s blitzes of Ukraine’s cities, the A-50 "Mainstay" dome-mounted radar level monitors Ukraine aerial defenses and provides bid and power for Russian bombers launching missiles. Ukraine has already changeable down 2 A-50s and the drones got different connected Sunday. Good riddance.
Ukraine’s drone onslaught was an important blow. But this is an onslaught that indispensable beryllium taken earnestly by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and planners successful the Pentagon, arsenic they revive America’s concern base.
What stunned maine was the timing: near-simultaneous attacks astatine aggregate Russian bases. By utilizing 117 drones smuggled into Russia, the close-in attacks achieved astonishment and near nary clip for the Russians to activate physics warfare oregon different defenses. Apparently, unsuspecting Russian truckers said they were hired to present modular houses. Then the lids of their cargo loads opened and drones flew out.
RUSSIA LAUNCHES LARGEST AERIAL ATTACK OF UKRAINE WAR, KILLING AT LEAST 12
Even much consequential was the scope of the strikes. Belaya airbase is successful Siberia, 3,000 miles from Kyiv, adjacent Lake Baikal. They mislaid 4 Tu-95s, 3 Tu-22s and the A-50. Olenya airbase is up connected the Kola peninsula adjacent Murmansk. The section Barents Observer photographed columns of oily achromatic fume billowing into the air, astir apt from the 5 Tu-95s, hitting that base.
Putin should person known better. Ukraine’s drones deed the Kremlin successful May 2023. Other attacks person damaged Su-24 and Su-30 fighters parked successful occupied Crimea. Ukraine has deed Russian bombers with smaller drone attacks, similar 1 successful August 2023 that claimed 2 Tu-95s.
Russian Tupolev Tu-95 Strategic Bomber alert during a subject parade marking the Belarus Independence Day successful Minsk. A brace of Russian Tu-95 Bear-H bombers were intercepted flying successful planetary airspace adjacent Alaska. (Reuters)
Yet beyond question, the coordinated drone onslaught of June 1, 2025, opened a caller section successful drone warfare. "Yesterday was a truly bully illustration of conscionable however rapidly exertion is changing the battlefield," Army Chief of Staff General Randy George said Monday, June 2.
Operation Spider’s Web should nonstop a chill down the spine of each U.S. basal commander.
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Right now, the U.S. subject besides needs to beryllium asking: what if a Russian oregon Chinese "fishing vessel" disconnected the seashore of Guam oregon Virginia Beach pops unfastened drones to onslaught U.S. bombers oregon fighters lined up connected runways? B-52s and B-1s are based chiefly successful the heartland, and the B-2s unrecorded successful climate-controlled hangars successful Missouri. However, the bombers beryllium retired connected big federation runways erstwhile deployed astir the globe connected Bomber Task Force missions.
PENTAGON ANNOUNCES NEW COUNTER-DRONE STRATEGY AS UNMANNED ATTACKS ON US INTERESTS SKYROCKET
It's not conscionable trucks and containers launching drones. In May, China showed disconnected its Jiu Tan drone carrier, an unmanned level with an 82-foot wingspan that carriers up to 100 smaller drones. To an American combatant pilot, China’s drone mothership is 1 large abdominous target, but you get the idea. Enemy drones tin travel from anywhere. It takes tremendous quality and surveillance and assistance from AI to support way of each the imaginable Chinese onslaught vectors.
Even much consequential was the scope of the strikes. Belaya aerial basal is successful Siberia, 3,000 miles from Kyiv, adjacent Lake Baikal. They mislaid 4 Tu-95s, 3 Tu-22s and the A-50. Olenya airbase is up connected the Kola peninsula adjacent Murmansk.
The Pentagon finished a classified counter-drone strategy past December and has galore ways to support our planes against drones. Close in, the Army and Marines person systems similar the Coyote, a 24-inch drone that intercepts different drones. Fighter jets are a large counter-drone weapon. Central Command deployed F-15s to Diego Garcia to support B-2 and B-52 bombers. Back successful January 2024, Navy F/A-18EF Superhornets from the USS Eisenhower changeable down 5 Houthi drones with air-to-air missiles.
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But drone defence needs to beryllium a apical priority. Just to beryllium safe, amended bargain much of the new B-21 Raider stealth bombers for bully measure. It’s the lone bomber America has successful production.
For the moment, savor Ukraine’s superb onslaught connected Putin’s panic bombers. Too atrocious Ukraine can’t bash it again. Or tin they?
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