Putin denies it but the smoke says otherwise - Ukraine just hit 41 Russian bombers
Russia has sought to minimize the damage inflicted by Ukraine’s recent large-scale drone operation, codenamed “Pavutyna” (“Spiderweb”), which Kyiv claims successfully struck 41 Russian strategic aircraft, including Tu-95MSand Tu-22M3 long-range bombers. While Ukrainian officials hailed the attack as a major blow to Russia’s capacity for long-range missile strikes, the Kremlin insists the affected aircraft were merely damaged, not destroyed.
In comments made to the state-run agency TASS, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov stated that “the equipment in question was not destroyed, but damaged. It will be restored.” The remarks echo earlier statements from the Ministry of Defense, which acknowledged the attack but emphasized that “no irreversible losses” had occurred.
However, satellite images and drone footage released by Ukraine’s security services tell a different story. Several aircraft appear to have been completely destroyed in fireballs at multiple airbases, including Engels and Soltsy—facilities that house some of the Kremlin’s most valuable strategic aviation assets.
Even some pro-Kremlin sources have joined the damage-control campaign. Russian Air Force officer and prominent military blogger Ilya Tumanov, known online as Fighterbomber, dismissed the destroyed aircraft as obsolete. He described them as “non-flying airframes from the iron row,” adding that the strike was “as effective as hitting monuments on pedestals.”
But military analysts warn that such downplaying is misleading. The Tu-95MS, a Cold War-era bomber used extensively to launch Kh-101 cruise missiles against Ukrainian infrastructure, is no longer in production. Ukrainian intelligence reports that many of these aircraft were already operating on borrowed time, with limited payload capacity and airframe fatigue making them increasingly irreplaceable.
According to Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), the drones struck bombers that were already loaded with cruise missiles and prepared for an imminent attack. The agency claims that the strike not only disrupted those operations but caused permanent damage to Russia’s strategic aviation capabilities. Estimated cost of destroyed aircraft and munitions? Over $7 billion, according to SBU calculations.
Despite Kremlin efforts to reframe the incident as inconsequential, defense analysts suggest the strategic implications will be far more difficult to conceal. With each loss, Russia’s ability to project power over long distances dwindles, forcing it to either accelerate production of outdated platforms or rely more heavily on limited high-tech alternatives.
As Ukraine ramps up its drone capabilities and penetrates deeper into Russian airspace, the vulnerability of even Moscow’s most heavily guarded assets is becoming increasingly apparent—raising difficult questions for the Russian military command and leadership.
