On June 1, 2025, Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb made headlines after FPV drones began striking Russian strategic bombers as far north as the Arctic Circle. Three months later, the full effects of the attack are becoming clearer. About 20% of Russia’s combat-ready long-range bombers were put out of action, but that’s far from the full extent of the damage Ukrainian drones inflicted. For Moscow, using bombers to launch missile strikes on Ukraine has now become far more complicated logistically — and much more expensive. Most of Russia’s remaining bombers were redeployed to bases in the country’s Far East, meaning they must fly as many as 10,000 extra kilometers on each combat mission. In the long term, that threatens to accelerate the wear and tear of aging planes. Key indicators suggest that Russia’s Aerospace Forces are already facing technical problems operating the bombers under these new conditions.