Russian Pearl Harbor? Kiev Launched a Massive Surprise Attack on Russia's Strategic Bombers

Putin's government was too Christian and moral to prevent it.

Most of you have already heard the news because it has been dominating headlines for the last 24 hours. The footage has been released in a timely manner to back up Kiev’s claims and to prevent the Kremlin from dousing the flames (literally and metaphorically) in the aftermath of the attack.

We are still speculating on the true extent of the damage inflicted, but I may as well provide you with the current status report. Here:

Code-named “Spider’s web”, Ukraine’s sweeping drone attack that targeted Russian warplanes on Sunday had been planned for over a year and a half, Ukrainian security services said, adding that the strikes had destroyed 34 percent of Russian strategic bombers carrying cruise missiles and caused an estimated $7 billion in damages.

Ukrainian security services conducted a massive drone attack against Russian military airbases on Sunday, striking thousands of kilometres from the front line in what President Volodymyr Zelensky said was their longest-range operation ever.

The operation, code-named “Spider’s web”, required months of preparation and the smuggling of drones into Russian territory.

Here is what we know about the attacks, which occurred on the eve of talks in Istanbul between Russia and Ukraine to explore the prospects for a ceasefire.

Damage

Ukraine has claimed significant damage but for now it is impossible to verify independently.

A source in Ukraine’s SBU security service said the coordinated attacks hit 41 aircraft used to “bomb Ukrainian cities”, citing the Tu-95 and Tu-22 strategic bombers and the A-50 radar detection and command aircraft.

Russia’s defence ministry confirmed that “several aircraft caught fire” following a drone attack at bases in the regions of Murmansk and Irkutsk, located in the Russian Arctic and eastern Siberia.

The fires were contained, the ministry said, and caused no casualties, adding that suspects had been “arrested”.

Ukrainian security services said they destroyed 34 percent of Russian strategic bombers carrying cruise missiles, claiming to have inflicted damages amounting to $7 billion.

Modus operandi

The “Spider’s web” operation was prepared for over a year and a half, the Ukrainian SBU source said, adding that it had required particularly complex logistics.

Ukraine regularly launches drones to strike targets in Russia in response to the Russian invasion of 2022, but the modus operandi used this time was different.

The Ukrainian security source said drones had been smuggled into Russia and hidden in wooden structures installed on trucks.

The structures’ roofs were then opened remotely to let the drones fly toward their targets.

Photos shared by the SBU show numerous small black drones hidden in what appears to be transport containers.

Russia’s defence ministry confirmed that the drones were not launched from Ukrainian territory but “in the immediate vicinity of the airbases”.

Longest-range ever

Zelensky on Sunday hailed the operation’s “brilliant” results in what he called “our most long-range operation” in more than three years of war.

Using 117 drones, Ukraine was able to reach regions thousands of kilometres from the front, when its attacks generally focus on areas close to its borders.

Two of the airbases Ukraine said it had hit, Olenya and Belaya, are around 1,900 kilometres (1,180 miles) and 4,300 kilometres from Ukraine. The first is located in the Russian Arctic, the other in eastern Siberia.

The Russian ministry said it successfully countered other attacks in the regions of Ivanovo and Ryazan as well as in Amur, near the border with China in the Russian Far East.

Consequence and symbolism

The consequences of the attacks on Russian military capabilities are difficult to estimate at this stage.

Ukraine suffers from almost daily air attacks that have strained its air defence capabilities in recent weeks.

Russian military bloggers lamented a “black day for aviation” after the Ukrainian attack.

Rybar, an account on the Telegram messaging platform that is close to the Russian military, called it a “very heavy blow” and pointed to what it called “serious errors” by Russian intelligence.

But the symbolic significance is important for Ukraine, whose army has been facing setbacks on the front.

Former Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko, now an opposition figure, said there were “no better arguments” for Ukraine on the eve of talks with Moscow in Istanbul.

OK, so let’s keep this report lean and to the point.

The Hangar Situation

Rybar was mentioned. I have written about Rybar before. It is a popular war news channel run by former military spooks. They’ve been in trouble with the Kremlin over demands that they publicly aired to start building hangars for Russia’s air fleet, which the Kremlin has neglected to do for one reason or another. This has allowed Ukraine to destroy many Russian planes that have been just sitting in the field with no defenses.

It was a baffling policy decision on the part of Putin and Shoigu and Gerasimov.

I even did interviews about the hangar problem and what it revealed about the perfidy of Putin’s government. See here:

After threatening media curators like Rybar for slighting the honor of Shoigu, the Kremlin backed off and said they’d handle the situation. As always, this was yet another lie. The videos released by the UAF drone operators reveal that there were no hangars.

FIRST DIGRESSION:

It is interesting to note that Martyanov, one of the most prominent ZAnon personalities, has repeatedly defended the lack of hangars and attacked the people behind Rybar for demanding that the MoD start building them for displaying what he called disloyalty to Putin.

However, as I and others warned, blindly defending a bad and downright treacherous policy would lead to disastrous results for Russia’s armed forces.

This seems to prove my thesis that the ZAnon team of cheerleaders exists to serve American intelligence interests, not Russia’s. By defending Putin’s many failures and treacheries and masking his catastrophic handling of the war, Martyanov is actually helping Washington. This should be easy to understand.

I alleged the same thing in regards to the other “Prophets of Putinism”. Here:

With Martyanov, we have a dubious background to work with which suggests that he was/is a willing defector and American asset. He was born in Baku, USSR, (where there was a huge Jewish “diaspora” running the oil and gas there) in 1963, graduated from the Kirov Naval Red Banner Academy, served in the Soviet Coast Guard until 1990, and emigrated to the U.S. in the mid-1990s (or earlier, we don’t know for sure), where he worked as a Laboratory Director in a commercial aerospace group i.e., for the United States military industrial complex. He got his start in blogging by writing for the U.S. Naval Institute and writing books critical of current U.S. military strategy. His thesis, in a nutshell, was that Russia had developed superior military technologies, doctrines and capabilities while America had languished because of less investment and a switch to colonial style warfare. It is not hard to understand that such material could be used to drum up support for increased spending on MIC projects in the US, to justify tackling a resurgent (and non-existent) Russian threat.

Put all this together and you have a clear profile of a man who works to undermine Russia while supposedly cheering Russia on. Like a bad girlfriend that encourages sisters in her friend group to engage in self-destructive behavior while wearing the mask of optimism and encouragement.

Counterpoint to the Hangar Argument

Apparently, according to the terms of the START treaty, Russia was obligated to keep her strategic bombers out in the open, in full view of the satellites. Thus, Putin was simply honoring his commitments to his esteemed Western partners by letting them sit in the open, defenseless, to prove how serious he was about peace with the West. Thus x2, by attacking the bombers, NATO + Kiev violated the nuclear safety protocols. Thus x3, Putin has once again scored another moral, Christian, humanitarian victory against NATO by proving that they’re the bad guys and that he and his government will go to heaven, while they will go to hell.

And Putin will, of course, yet again, take the podium in the coming days to say that he was morally tricked by the West — just you watch.

…

OK, but, let’s take a look at the fine print on the treaty, shall we? Here:

“So, friends. There is a big NUANCE.

According to the START-3 Treaty:

Strategic bombers must be available for inspection:

• At bases, they are located in open parking lots.

• This allows satellite reconnaissance and inspectors to check how many bombers there are and where they are.

Why are bombers located outside?

This is done as part of transparency:

• So that the parties can confirm data on the number of strategic bombers via satellite.

• So that it is clear that they are not in a state of immediate combat use (for example, they are not loaded with nuclear weapons without notice).

• This helps to avoid mistrust and an unexpected nuclear conflict.

Is the treaty valid? This is interesting.

• The treaty has been extended until February 5, 2026.

This is the latest extension signed in 2021.

• Russia and the United States remain parties, meaning the treaty is formally in force.

Well there you have it.

Russia was legally in the right, yet again!

The ICC will open a formal inquiry into Trump and Zelensky and Macron within the following days and haul them off to court for violation of treaty law, I’m sure!

But … hold on a second … what’s this?

• But since February 2023:

• Russia has suspended its participation in inspection and exchange mechanisms.

• Moscow has stated that it will not provide the United States with information about its nuclear arsenal.

However, after this statement, the Russian Federation has in no way concealed the bombers.

Therefore, this can be perceived in two ways.

First. The ideal option for the Russian Federation would be to make an official statement that the bombers were in the open due to the fact that Russia strictly adheres to the New START Treaty.

On the other hand, the Russian Federation has stated that it will not provide the United States with information about its nuclear arsenal.

At the same time, Russia has not withdrawn from the treaty, but has suspended its participation in the verification mechanisms.

The US, for its part, has not terminated the treaty either, but believes that Russia is violating it by limiting transparency.

Thus, START-3 is still in effect, although its implementation has been suspended by both sides.

At least, if the Russian Federation had not made a statement about suspending its participation in this treaty, then Kyiv's attack would have been a serious international challenge to the nuclear security of the entire world.

If diplomacy (brain) on the part of the Russian Federation works, then this attack can be presented as a colossal challenge from Kyiv to the entire world.

So, actually, Putin chose the absolute worst course of action, yet again.

He not only suspended START protocols on paper, but then he failed to actually conceal Russia’s strategic bombers. The best course of action would be to do the exact opposite, of course — to keep the treaty in effect for NATO, but to ignore its protocols for yourself. That’s what the US does with most of the treaties it signs on to. In other words, they expect other states to comply, but themselves don’t and all the other countries can do is complain (if they’re feeling feisty) or just pretend that it isn’t happening. Washington imposes these treaties on the world because they are entirely one-sided in their implementation and its vassal states rarely even have the temerity to complain, so hardly anyone even knows that this is the real status quo in the world.

More on the hangars. Here:

Igor Dimitriev (https://t.me/russ_orientalist/20689), whom I respect, writes that we allegedly did not have the right, according to the INF Treaty, to build hangars for strategic aviation. I disagree with this.

Let me remind you that the INF Treaty (1987-2019) regulated only 500-5500 km missiles. Air-launched cruise missiles and carriers (Tu-95/160) did not fall under it. Hangars have never been banned. The United States (B-52/B-2), France (Rafale), China (H-6K) store strategic aviation exclusively in protected shelters. Open parking is an outdated practice.

The INF Treaty ceased to be effective in 2019. Russia's problem is not legal, but practical:

- Construction of hangars for Tu-95 in Engels and Ukrainka took years;

- By 2022, the readiness of shelters is <40% (accounts of the Accounts Chamber);

- Money was stolen (criminal cases in Morozovsk, Voronezh).

Even the Khmeimim base in Syria has had full protection since 2015. Similar measures have not been taken for the Russian strategic aviation. Vulnerability is the result of negligence, not legal restrictions.

Negligence?

Or perfidy?

“Bafoonery”?

Or treachery.

You decide.

Context and consequences

I can’t help but feel that the information that was either “leaked” or simply revealed to be in the possession of NATO regarding Russia’s strategic nuclear and missile defenses is related to this story.

If I was trying to justify an invasion or bombing campaign over Russia, I’d make sure to curtail the information regarding Russia’s nuclear defenses thusly:

• Russia is involved in some dangerous modernization projects for their nukes

• These projects cannot hurt us in any way if we attack them now

This is, of course, the same playbook as was used against Saddam and which is being used against Iran.

Yes, they’re doing something nefarious and dangerous, but no, we won’t face any consequences for bombing them and invading them, so let’s do it while we still can.

The perfect combination.

Also, I’d like to point out that I have said that Russia was already being bombed by Kiev + NATO with increasing frequency and that that this was being covered up by ZAnon media. And I said that the bombing campaign would reach Serbia, Iraq, etc. levels soon. Proof here:

Am I vindicated yet?

What comes next is the following:

• The Kremlin blusters that another red line has been crossed

• They draw a new line further back in the sand

• NATO turns to its skittish politicians and elites and says, “see, they won’t do nuffin!”

• Another escalation is planned, executed

• The Kremlin blusters …

That, my dear Stalkers, is how the salami gets sliced.

ZAnon: “It wasn’t really all that bad!”

I am sure that the Kremlin will play down the damage inflicted by this attack. And, Z-media simply repeats what the Kremlin says, bulletpoint by bulletpoint. So, yes, most of the Z-accounts on Twitter are already denying that any planes were hit and accusing anyone of believing the footage of being a traitor to the Multipolar cause. I saw Simplicius on there claiming that there was no proof for any bombers getting hit.

And they’re now just pretending that it was an unimportant strike, that Russia is “advancing” somewhere or other.

What more can I say about the Z-crowd at this point? If you’re not having doubts at this point, there is simply something wrong with you. Spiritually, intellectually, maybe even morally? I don’t know. That’s between you and your Yahweh I suppose.

…

It is true though that we don’t know the full extent of the damage. But, as per tradition, I will share some speculation from Right of Kremlin sources. Oleg Tsarev has become my go-to source on all analyses. He’s the solid Crimean Russian nationalist MP that was almost assassinated on his way back from Moscow by … somebody. Here:

Helplessness and shame - that's the simple collective feeling of today.

A huge state machine that has multiplied millions of officials, security officials and security guards across the country, supposedly controlling everyone and everything, a machine that has been mastering billion-dollar budgets for its bizarre bureaucratic desires for decades - among the right people, of course, a machine that breeds endless restrictions, bans, blockages, fines and criminal articles for the inattentive average citizen in a 24/7 mode - this state system once again stands helplessly with its mouth open and ears flapping, when it - and all of us along with it - are stilled attacked by real criminals and terrorists.

By the Ukrainians.

And not teenagers, city lunatics, activists with posters, likes on social networks, YouTube videos and songs of the wrong artists, with whom it is so pleasant to fight.

The real enemy attacked a passenger train and strategic aviation - what to do about it?

Of course, erase the word "undermining" from the news, replacing it with "emergency" and "collapse of structures". You never know. What if something happens? What if we interfere with the negotiating group in Istanbul?

Ah yes, the negotiation are continuing in Istanbul as we speak. Lavrov had a phone call with Rubio right after the attack. I’m sure that they’ll figure something out for Russia’s oligarch though. I have plenty of faith that their assets will be secured! In that way, the goals of Putin’s SMO will indeed end up being fulfilled, you could say.

…

Doubtless, I will have more to share about this story in the coming days.

Did Trump know and approve of the attack?

Will anyone in Russia be fired for it?

How will this affect the negotiations in Istanbul?

Boring questions, if I’m being honest, because the answers to them are somewhat obvious. But we will endeavor to dig out some interesting nuggets of forbidden revelation nonetheless.

**

It is amusing that I had that article featured on Unz right before this happened. I was mostly eviscerated in the comments and I doubted that Ron would feature me again. But maybe, after the recent news … ?

Only big events like this “Pearl Harbor” or the fall of Syria or the invasion of Kursk or the surrender of Kherson ever seem to jolt people out of the propaganda-induced Z-stupor.