Destroyed Russian bombers were loaded with cruise missiles
Several of the Russian Tu-95MS strategic bombers destroyed on June 1 were already carrying cruise missiles, meaning that Ukraine’s Operation Cobweb has disrupted an impending enemy air strike, Ukrainian outlet Militarnyi reported on June 4.
The report referred to video footage published by Ukraine’s SBU security service, showing Tu‑95MS bombers outfitted with Kh‑101 cruise missiles, which were used in every major Russian missile strike on Ukrainian cities.
“On some footage from the Byelaya and Olenya airfields, long-range Kh‑101 cruise missiles are visible under the wings of Tu‑95MS bombers,” the publication said.
“These are the very missiles the enemy uses for terror strikes on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.”
Planned and executed on June 1 by the SBU, Operation Cobweb involved swarms of remote-controlled FPV drones striking Russian strategic aviation assets across four airfields in Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ryazan, and Ivanovo oblasts. The UAVs were deployed from containers that were delivered in the vicinity of the airfields by unwitting Russian truckers.
According to the SBU, the operation damaged 41 enemy aircraft, including the A-50, Tu-95, Tu-22M3, and Tu-160. Agency head Vasyl Malyuk estimated the damaged aircraft accounted for 34% of Russia’s strategic cruise missile carriers.
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