Successful and devastating: Massiv drone attacks on Olenya airbase
Like a trojan horse: Several drones were launched from a truck near a gas station on the main road next to Olenya air base on the Kola Peninsula. The massive attack on the airbase holding Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3 bombers on Sunday appears to be the biggest blow against Russia's terror-bombing cruise missile capabilities ever.
Videos seen by the Barents Observer, posted on social media channels in the Murmansk region, shows how several small drones are launched from a truck on the road next to a gas station on the main road near the town of Olenegorsk, a short 6-7 kilometers from the Olenya air base. Trojan horse Ukraine’s massive attacks Sunday morning is by definition like a “Trojan horse” – what at first look like innocent trucks and lorries, carried a deadly swarm of small drones that where launched at short distance. While the airport is covered with the latest air defense systems, they are at the same time very vulnerable to small drones flying below any radar or other detection systems. “Right now, the Security Service of Ukraine is conducting a large-scale special operation to destroy enemy bomber aircraft in the rear of the Russian Federation.” the Kyiv Independent quotes a source in the country’s security service. Shortly after the drones are launched, the videos show, are explosions heard and plumes of black smoke rise from behind the trees where the air base is located.
The drones apparently flew directly from the truck towards several targets in what seems to be a well coordinated, successful operation by the the Ukrainian special forces. Based on the videos, the drones look like small FPV drones of the type where a pilot controls the flight via goggles or a real-time video feed. Such drones are easy to navigate directly to targets, but have very limited range, meaning the operator is nearby, unless some high-tech remote control, or AI systems where used. Olenya air base is home to strategic bombers, like the Tu-95MS and TU-22M3, planes that are frequently used to launch cruise missile attacks against civilian targets in Ukraine. The massive attacks on Sunday, June 1, have hit four military air bases across Russia; the Olenya, Belaya in Irkutsk region in Siberia, Diaghilevo in Ryazan Oblast and the Ivanovo northeast of Moscow, newspaper Kyiv Post reports based on Ukrainian sources.
According to news agency RBK Ukraini, referring sources in the special services, are “more than 40 aircraft been hit.” If so, that counts for about one-third of Russia’s strategic bombers. How many of those that were on the Olenya air base is not known, but two videos released by the Ukrainian special forces, republished by the Insider on Telegram show one drone approaching in towards the southern end of the air field before flying over the apron where planes are parked. The first video clearly shows three TU-95MS bombers on full fire and one partly on fire. In addition, one other propeller plane parked on the same apron is on fire. A full overview of the damages will be possible to see when satellite images can be studied.
Clouds were covering Murmansk region on Sunday, but forecast promises partly clear skies on Tuesday and Wednesday. “Most devastating attack” Kristian Åtland, a senior researcher at the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment, is expert on both Ukraine’s security and Russia’s Arctic military capacities. He says to the Barents Observer that Sunday’s drone operation is the “most successful and devastating” attack that has been carried out against Russian bomber bases ever. “It is a massive and coordinated attack against four strategically important aviation bases, all of them located at a considerable distance from the Russian-Ukrainian border. It seems that many, if not all, of the drones used in the attack were FPV (First Person View) drones launched from Russia’s own territory, including locations not far from the targeted bases,” Åtland says.
He elaborates: “This is significant setback for Russia’s long-range strike forces and Russia’s ability to continue to attack Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities with air-launched cruise missiles. Some of the damaged bombers may, of course, be repaired or replaced, but it will take time. In the meantime, Russia will probably continue to attack Ukraine with Shahed drones and other weapons.” Governor: “… please don’t publish videos” The attacks are confirmed by Russian officials. Murmansk governor, Andrei Chibis, was first out in his Telegram channel saying “enemy drones drones have attacked” his region, but without providing further details.
The governor added that emergency services and law enforcement agencies are working at the site. Chibis then called on locals to censor what they publish: “Please do not post videos and photos on social networks or share them with anyone, including those showing the work of the air defense,” the war-supporting governor begged. But locals in Olenegorsk don’t follow Andrei Chibis’ call. Vkontakte, Telegram, Twitter are Sunday all packed with photos and videos from different angles around Olenegorsk. The Barents Observer geolocated two videos published in Telegram channels.
Both were filmed from Olenegorsk. The first shows the beach of Lake Komsomolskoye within the city limits (screenshot in top of this article). The second video is believed to have been made on the outskirts of Olenegorsk; the frame shows garages and power lines running along the railway; similar garages and power lines are located on Parkovaya Street in Olenegorsk. Russia’s Ministry of War confirmed the attack in a short note on Telegram early evening Sunday. The ministry said it was “a terrorist act” – although the fact is that the strike only targeted military objects.
According to the statement, the drones caused “several units” of aircraft catching fire. Inside Russia, Z-bloggers and war-correspondents compare what happened to Pearl Harbor and call it the worst day since the beginning of the second world war, writes Verstka. Air defense played out The Barents Observer has previously published Google Earth images showing the location of the air defense systems next to Olenya air base. The air defense includes electronic warfare units that are jamming GPS signals as far away as into Norwegian airspace, more than 200 km to the west. Launched from containers The images below show how the drones were brought to launch locations in proximity to the four air bases attacked.
Hidden under a extra cover in cargo containers on trucks, like gagsters are smuggling cigarets and drugs, the drones were unpacked with explosives attached. The drivers were allegedly not aware of the cargo they brought. “I got a phone call and asked to stop at the Rosneft gas station in Olenegorsk,” the driver told law enforcement in Murmansk region after the attack. The operation, by the Ukrainians named “Spider Web” was allegedly planned over one and a half years. Tu-22M3 recently relocated north In fear of drone attacks at more southern air bases, the Russian air forces have over the past two weeks redeployed about 40 Tu-22M3 bombers to Olenya, which is some 1,800 kilometers north of the border with Ukraine.
This was reported on Saturday by the Russian news site “One”. In addition, there are normally about 10 Tu-95MS long-range strategic bombers deployed to Olenya. These are bombers that more frequently in recent weeks have been used to launch cruise missiles at civilian targets in Ukraine. The Kola Peninsula is one of Russia’s most militarised regions and plays a vital role in the country’s nuclear weapons arsenal. Olenya air base is a forward deployment base for nuke-carrying long-range bombers, part of Moscow’s nuclear triad.
There are storages prepared for nukes at the base. Those buildings are just next to the apron where planes are on fire. If there where any nukes stored in the buildings on Sunday is unknown to public available open sources. Olenya has on several occasions over the last 10 months been attacked by drones, although no substantial damage have been reported. In August and September 2024, there were at least two attacks on the military airport at Olenya.
In one of the attacks, a local recorded a video of the shooting down of one of the drones only few hundred metres away from the strategically important air base. The last known drone attack happened on May 4 this year. —- Editor’s note: The last update to this article was at 18:50 (Norwegian time).
