BBC Verify
BBCNew satellite images and drone footage show serious damage inflicted on aircraft at several Russian airbases during Ukraine’s surprise drone strike on Sunday.
The images of two Russian airbases in north-western and central Russia, taken on Wednesday morning, show 12 aircraft damaged or destroyed.
Meanwhile, drone footage, released by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) on Wednesday, showed attacks on these two bases as well as two more targeted elsewhere.
Ukraine claims that it targeted 41 strategic bombers in the operation, adding that “at least” 13 were destroyed. Security officials say the shock incursion took 18 months to plan and saw many drones smuggled into Russia.
Drone attacks recorded
The SBU video is almost five minutes long and consists of edited footage taken by drones in the process of conducting attacks on Olenya, Ivanovo, Dyagilevo and Belaya airbases.
In each shot the feed cuts out before any explosion, but in some instances we see other planes on fire in the background.
At no point do we see any indication of defensive measures from Russian forces, even after the attack was clearly well underway.
Many of the aircraft are covered in tyres – a Russian tactic said to be aimed at mitigating against drone strikes.
Some of the aircraft are seen apparently loaded with cruise missiles and well fuelled – judging by the extent and spread of fires. This suggests they were prepared to conduct strikes.
The clearest satellite imagery covers Olenya and Belaya and shows five damaged or destroyed planes at the former and seven at the latter.
Olenya
Olenya is a major Russian airbase in the north-west of the country.
The SBU footage shows smoke pouring from three aircraft, identified as Tu-95 strategic bombers and an approach to a fourth. Video footage also shows a drone approaching a Tu-22M strategic bomber sitting on the runway in this very same position.
Satellite imagery from Maxar clearly shows a destroyed aircraft sitting beside a row of Tu-22M type aircraft.
Manufacturing of both the Tu-95 and Tu-22 ended at the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, which will make repair difficult and replacement near impossible.
Elsewhere in the SBU video, an AN-12 Transporter can be seen being approached. The Maxar satellite image does not show the aftermath of this, but other imagery reviewed by BBC Verify from AviVector – a satellite image analyst on X – suggests that it too was destroyed.
Belaya
Imagery provided by Planet Labs from this morning shows the entirety of Belaya airbase in Irkutsk Oblast, nearly 3,000km from the Ukrainian border.
It shows three damaged Tu-95s and four Tu-22s and in various parts of the base. The SBU footage shows many of the same aircraft being approached.
In two instances we see the drone carefully position itself on the wing of a Tu-95 – next to one of its fuel tanks.
The final shot of the footage shows smoke rising from numerous sites across the base.
Ivanovo
At Ivanovo airbase two A50-AWACS planes are seen being targeted. The aircraft serves as an early warning and control asset – or spy plane – and is identifiable by the sizeable radar system on its fuselage.
Ukraine previously shot down two of these aircraft in January and February 2024.
As yet we have not seen any imagery or footage that captures any damage to these aircraft at Ivanovo.
While satellite imagery from the site does show wreckage, BBC Verify has confirmed that the damage was present at the site before Sunday’s attack and is likely from another incident.
Dyagilevo
The SBU footage from Dyagilevo in Ryazan region shows three Tu-22s being approached, but there is no clear indication of damage sustained in either the footage or available satellite imagery.
Additional reporting by Shayan Sardarizadeh
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