Kremlin ‘angry and alarmed’ after Ukrainian ‘Spiderweb’ drone operation hits Russian air bases — Bloomberg

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The Ukrainian drone attack on Russian air bases, carried out as part of operation “Spiderweb,” left the Kremlin “angry and alarmed” over the unexpected vulnerability of its air fleet far from the front lines, Bloomberg reported, citing sources in Moscow.

Ukrainian officials claimed that 41 aircraft were damaged in the operation. A Bloomberg source estimated the number as closer to 10. Still, the outlet’s sources noted that only a handful of bombers are required to carry out strikes on Ukraine, meaning the frequency of Russian attacks is unlikely to decrease.

According to The New York Times, which cited American and European security officials, damage assessments are still ongoing, but preliminary estimates suggest that about 20 aircraft may have sustained serious damage. These reportedly include six Tu-95 and four Tu-22M strategic bombers, as well as A-50 early warning radar planes.

U.S. officials added that the Trump administration had not been notified in advance of the strike — something previously reported by other outlets as well.

American officials, the NYT reported, are expecting a “significant retaliation” from Russia. U.S. intelligence has not yet determined what targets Moscow might select, but officials believe the Kremlin could resume drone strikes on civilian infrastructure, target Ukraine’s power grid, or launch more waves of intermediate-range ballistic missiles.

the operation

• Ukraine says it destroyed dozens of Russian warplanes in its unprecedented ‘Spiderweb’ operation. Here’s what the footage shows.