AI guided drones to vulnerable spots on Russian planes during Operation Spiderweb – aviation expert

Artificial intelligence helped drones during Operation Spiderweb hit Russian strategic bombers in the most vulnerable places, including where fuel tanks are located. Aviation expert Valery Romanenko told LIGA.net in an interview.

Drones called OSA could be used for strikes, which were trained using artificial intelligence at the Poltava Museum of Strategic Aviation. The purpose of such training is to memorize the vulnerabilities of strategic bombers, in particular the Tu-95 and Tu-22M3.

The aviation expert explained that one of the photos of the head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Vasyl Malyuk, shows planes with red crosses marking the fuel tanks. These are the areas that are most vulnerable – in the wing area (Tu-95) or in the central part of the fuselage (Tu-22M3).

Drones with a small warhead (weighing up to 2–3 kg) were equipped with shaped charges that had one goal – to penetrate the aircraft’s skin, reach the fuel tank and cause a fire. Artificial intelligence built into the drone’s system analyzed the image and directed the strike precisely to the vulnerable point.

"The drones hit precisely the indicated places. The Tu-95 was a perfect hit. One of the planes lost its wing as a result of the explosion. Planes that burned with such intensity cannot be repaired," Romanenko emphasized.

• On June 1, 2025, the SBU conducted a special operation "Cobweb", striking four strategic airfields in Russia. This is 34% of all Russian strategic cruise missile carriers , the estimated cost of which is $7 billion.
• This was Ukraine's most far-reaching operation , and the "office" was directly next to the FSB headquarters in one of the Russian regions .
• Experts showed a visualization of Operation "Spiderweb".
• LIGA.net sources showed footage of preparations for the operation.