Russia’s Bombers at Risk – New Shelters Built in Record Time

Following a successful Ukrainian special operation codenamed Spider Web, Russia has begun constructing massive protective shelters for its bombers at various airbases—both on the occupied Crimean peninsula and within Russia itself.

New satellite images confirm an intensive building activity in places like Kirovsk, Sevastopol, Gvardeiske, and Saki. The purpose of the shelters is simple: to protect the air force’s heaviest units from Ukrainian drone and missile attacks.

From Attack to Counteraction

Operation Spider Web, orchestrated by the SBU, the Ukrainian Security Service, targeted four Russian bases—Belaya, Dyagilevo, Olenya, and Ivanovo.

The results were dramatic according to Western sources: up to 40 Russian planes were damaged, and 10 to 13 of them are believed to be completely destroyed. Strategic bombers like the Tu-95 and Tu-22M3 were among the targets. According to German General Christian Freuding, “10 percent of the long-range bomber fleet was damaged during the attack.”

It is precisely this threat to such aircraft that is prompting Russia to act quickly and decisively.

New shelters are being erected—not just in Crimea. OSINT analysts report similar construction activities at bases such as Engels, Yeysk, Akhtubinsk, and Millerovo.

One of the most striking examples is the relocation of a Tu-160 bomber to the remote base in Anadyr in the Far East, just 660 kilometers from the U.S. border.

Creative Logistics and Drone Warfare

Ukrainian ingenuity played a major role in the operation. President Volodymyr Zelenskyj has shared how drones were transported in mobile wooden cabins loaded onto trucks, the drivers of which were unaware of the true purpose of their cargo.

The drones were then remotely activated and sent to their targets. The SBU used exclusively Ukrainian-produced drones in the operation, highlighting the country’s growing technological prowess.

As a result, Russia has intensified the screening of trucks.

Concrete as a Response to Fear

Russia’s answer is construction: hangars made of concrete and metal, fire-resistant curtains, and camouflage. Previous tactics like car tires on fuselages and painting silhouettes on asphalt are now supplemented with physical structures capable of withstanding explosions.

Whether these measures will actually protect against future attacks is uncertain. But one thing is certain: the drone war has shifted from improvised tactics to a new phase where even superpowers must build their way out of vulnerability. The military landscape in Russia—and in Crimea—is changing, and the term baptism by fire takes on a whole new meaning in this conflict.

Our team may have used AI to assist in the creation of this content, which has been reviewed by our editors.