Russia Reports Repair Plans After Ukraine Damages Dozens Strategic Bombers

On June 1, Ukraine launched Operation Spiderweb, a drone strike targeting Russian strategic bomber airfields in Siberia and the far north, reportedly damaging up to 41 Russian military aircraft including Tu-160, Tu-95MS, and Tu-22M3 bombers. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stated that the aircraft were damaged but not destroyed and would be restored, while the U.S. estimates about 20 warplanes were hit and around 10 destroyed, which is roughly half the number claimed by Ukrainian President Zelensky. Satellite images confirmed damage to Russian Tu-95 and Tu-22 bombers, though Russia has been accused of attempting to conceal the full extent of its losses by replacing destroyed aircraft with intact ones in satellite photos and downplaying damage. The complexity of repairing or replacing the affected Soviet-era planes is uncertain due to their age and Western sanctions limiting access to components. Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly told U.S. President Donald Trump that Moscow would have to respond to the attacks. The incident highlights ongoing tensions and the strategic importance of these bombers, which form a core part of Russia's nuclear-capable forces.