Video among the strategic aircraft hit by Ukraine are the “White Swan”, the most advanced bomber in Russia. New images with the “Spider canvas” operation
Tupolev TU-160 Photo source: Flight Collection / Topfoto / Profimedia
The Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) has publicly presented new images with Sunday's attack, arguing that Ukrainian drones hit 41 Russian strategic aircraft in Russia, including the Tupolev TU-160 plane, which the American National Security Journal publication describes as the most advanced Operational Bombardier in Moscow.
The Ukrainian authorities claim that in the attack performed on Sunday on Russia aerodromes, called the “Spider canvas” operation, the Tupolev TUPolev TU-95 strategic bomber, the TU-22M3 bomber, the TU-260 Bombardier, the TU-60, as well as to the TU-60 AN-12 and Ilyushin IL-76.
Some of these aircraft are part of the Russian nuclear discouragement system, but can also be armed with cruise missiles and have been used by Moscow forces to hit Ukraine after launching the invasion.
“A significant part of them is irretrievably destroyed, and the reconstruction of damaged aircraft will take many years,” says SBU, quoted by Reuters.
Сбу показала унікальні кадри спецоперації «павутина», у результаті якої уражено 41 військовий літак стратегічної авіації рф
➡️ https://t.co/osxqesi9cd pic.twitter.com/agsznesox3
– Сб україни (@Servicessu) June 4, 2025
TU-160 is Russia's most modern strategic bomber
Able to reach Mach 2+ speeds, Tupolev TU-160M can carry both nuclear load and conventional cruise missiles, being the most advanced and complex operating bombardier of Russia, but also the most expensive, writes National Security Journal.
Although Russia intends to build a number of 50 TU-160M2 aircraft and modernize the existing fleet (around 13 operational), the production is slow and expensive, which means that the restoration of its strategic bombing force will take many years.
TU-160M, nicknamed the “white swan” (or “blackjack” in NATO language) is at the present time the only Russian strategic bomber that is in production. It is a heavy supersonic bomber with a variable wing, and was built by the Soviet Union in response to the American B-1 Lancer plane.
After the Ukrainian operation “spider's cloth”, TU-160 will probably take on a more important role in the Russia's strategic bombing fleet to compensate for the losses suffered.
