“Pavutina” is a historic special operation carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine, as a result of which 41 russian aircraft were simultaneously destroyed by FPV drones, accounting for 34% of the enemy's entire strategic aviation. Among them were Tu-95, Tu-22M3, and Ty-160 aircraft, which the occupiers used to bomb peaceful Ukrainian cities, as well as unique A-50 enemy reconnaissance aircraft. The preparation and conduct of “Pavutina” was supervised by the Head of the SSU, Lieutenant General Vasyl Malyuk.
“The enemy thought it could bomb Ukraine and kill Ukrainians with impunity and indefinitely. But that is not the case. We will respond to russian terror and destroy the enemy everywhere: at sea, in the air, and on land. And if necessary, we will get them from under the ground,” said the head of the SSU.
The SSU used 117 specially designed FPV drones to strike russian aircraft. The UAVs and the modular houses in which they were hidden were brought to russian territory from Ukraine. Once behind enemy lines, the drones were delivered by truck to locations near the military airfields of the occupying country.
On June 1, 2025, on the day of the russian military transport aviation, the roofs of the houses automatically opened, and the operators of the SSU's FPV drones launched a massive strike against enemy strategic aviation.
The special operation took place simultaneously in three time zones at four key airfields of the occupiers: Olenya, Ivanovo, Dyagilevo, and Belaya, located thousands of kilometers from the state border of Ukraine.
“Pavutina” became one of the most vivid pages in the heroic struggle of the Ukrainian people against the russian occupiers.