Operation Spider Web: Ukraine’s Deep Strikes into Russia

The most damaging day for Moscow's military since the Second World War

Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you. On Friday, I wrote about recent events in Sudan that reveal the new age of asymmetric warfare and the changing nature of conflict.

Today, we’ve seen the most dramatic military event in the Russian war against Ukraine since President Putin ordered troops over the border into Ukraine in February 2022.

In the early hours of 1 June, Ukraine launched its most ambitious and far-reaching strikes since the start of the war. The Kursk offensive was impressive, catching Russia by surprise and proving a thorn that took almost a year to remove.

Today’s attacks are even more dramatic. First came strikes on two railway bridges, one in Bryansk region on the border with Ukraine, the other in the nearby Kursk. Although these are currently being described as ‘terrorist attacks’, it is almost certain that these were part of a co-ordinated day of disruption.

Then came attacks on at least four major Russian airbases.

What we’ve seen today is Moscow’s greatest military setback since the Second World War. It represents a shock and embarassment to the Russian military. But it has also knocked a hole in its nuclear triad.

This has been the most important day of the war in Ukraine since February 2022. It is arguably also the most significant setback to the Kremlin since the end of the Second World War.