Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that he had awarded state honors to the participants of Operation Pavutyna (Spiderweb), which targeted Russian military aviation.
According to the president, the identities of those honored remain classified. He noted that exactly one year ago the operation entered its final stage of preparation, ultimately resulting in strikes against Russian military equipment at a record distance for Ukrainian capabilities.
Zelenskyy stated that 41 Russian aircraft were destroyed or damaged during the operation. According to him, Russia had never before lost such a large number of military aircraft as a result of drone attacks.
The president stressed that the operation demonstrated Ukraine’s ability to act asymmetrically, defend itself proactively, and use modern technologies to strike enemy targets.
He also emphasized that Ukraine continues to impose what he described as “long-range sanctions” against Russia in response to the war and will keep finding effective ways to counter aggression.
Zelenskyy thanked Ukraine’s Defense Forces and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) for carrying out the operation and achieving its results.
