NATO official hails Ukraine's Operation Spider's Web as highly successful and estimates Russian aircraft losses

Serhiy Sydorenko, VALENTYNA ROMANENKO - 4 June, 16:31

A Russian warplane being targeted. Photo: a video by Ukraine’s Security Service

A senior official in the North Atlantic Alliance has hailed an operation by the Security Service of Ukraine that targeted Russian strategic aircraft as highly successful.

Source: a senior NATO official, speaking anonymously, cited by a European Pravda correspondent

Details: The official described the operation as "the most successful" based on NATO’s independent calculations, which largely align with Ukrainian estimates.

Quote: "We see that at least 40 aircraft were damaged. Between 10 and 13 aircraft were completely destroyed."

More details: Among the damaged aircraft, NATO has identified 15 Tu-95 strategic bombers, 20 Tu-22 aircraft, and at least one A-50 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) – a scarce asset in Russia’s arsenal.

The Alliance estimates that the attack has destroyed 34% of Russia's existing missile carriers.

"This has a critical impact on Russian capabilities," the source noted.

NATO acknowledges that some of the damaged or destroyed aircraft may have been serving as "spare parts donors" rather than active combat assets, but it lacks the data to determine their operational status, the official explained.

"We cannot confirm that all were fully operational," the official added. "It does not eliminate the Russians’ ability to launch airstrikes, but it significantly reduces their capacity for missile strikes, including those early-morning attacks so familiar to Ukrainians." The source also highlighted that the operation demonstrates Ukraine’s ability to target Russian military assets anywhere in Russian territory.

Background:

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has commented on Ukraine’s Operation Spider’s Web, which targeted airfields housing Russian strategic aircraft.
Prior to that, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had informed the leaders of several NATO states that Operation Spider’s Web demonstrated Ukraine’s advanced strike capabilities.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, commenting on the Ukrainian attack that destroyed and damaged Russian strategic bombers, said that Ukraine is successfully defending itself.

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!