Inside strategy: why Ukraine's drone attacks on Russian bombers depended on pinpoint accuracy

Defense Express reported the information.

A photo released by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), highlighting the outcomes of the operation, shows specific strike points on Russian bombers. These targeted strikes on airbases Belaya, Dyagilevo, Olenya, and Ivanovo damaged 34% of Russia’s strategic cruise missile carriers, with estimated losses totaling $7 billion.

The locations marked for impact reveal the strategic intent behind the operation. For example, the strike point on a Tu-22M3 bomber was located at the central fuel tank, positioned directly above the wing center section—a critical structural element that supports much of the aircraft’s load. Fires in this area, depending on temperature and burn duration, can lead to irreversible structural failure, particularly since aviation-grade aluminum melts at approximately 650°C.

Targeting the Tu-95MS required an even more nuanced approach. Drones struck the wing between the fuselage and inner engine, where one of the fuel tanks is located, along with the heavily stressed four-spar wing root structure. This area also supports missile pylons, an engine, and the landing gear. Hits here caused massive fires and rendered the bombers completely unusable.

Such damage contrasts with repairable impacts to engines, cockpits, or tail sections. In these operations, precision made all the difference—only destruction of structural or fuel-critical areas ensured the aircraft couldn’t be restored.

Although no images of Tu-160 damage have been made public, and the SBU did not disclose intended strike zones for this model, Express Defense suggests its most vulnerable areas are likely the small fuel tank above the center wing section or the main rear fuel tank.

Importantly, the effectiveness of these attacks depended on whether the bombers were fueled and prepped for flight. This means that careful target selection—knowing which aircraft to hit and when—was a defining element of the Spider's Web operation success.

• In a bold daylight operation on June 1, Ukraine’s Security Service launched a massive drone assault on Russian military airfields.