A month and a half after the strikes, remnants of Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3 bombers still lie scattered across the strategic aviation airfields Belaya, Engels, and Olenya.Despite Operation Spiderweb taking place on June 1 with a strike on Russia’s strategic bombers, Russian forces have yet to remove the wreckage of their aircraft. New satellite images of the Belaya airbase in Irkutsk region confirm this, Defense Express reports.The remains of Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3 are still visible in the imagery, published by Ukrainian OSINT analyst Tatarigami. The reason Russia has not yet cleared the wreckage remains unclear.One and a half months after the successful Operation Spiderweb, which targeted and destroyed Russian strategic bombers, our latest satellite imagery shows bomber wreckage still at several airfields, with the largest concentration at Belaya. A thread with updates on airbases: pic.twitter.com/HdsHgFqZsP— Tatarigami_UA (@Tatarigami_UA) July 13, 2025 Notably, the strike on this particular base was reportedly the most effective of the operation, with up to four Tu-95MS and seven Tu-22M3 bombers damaged or destroyed.The wreckage of bombers also hasn’t been fully removed from Olenya airbase. Perhaps more importantly, no progress has been observed on any Russian strategic aviation airbase in building protective shelters for aircraft. Although Russia has reportedly begun constructing large-scale shelters for Tu-160 bombers at Engels, these structures are unlikely to protect the planes from anything more serious than bad weather.At the tactical aviation base Khalino near Kursk, however, 10 shelters with earthen embankments have either been completed or are near completion, along with 12 open shelters and 8 additional hangars. This base lies just 110 km from the Ukrainian border.A similar situation exists at the Saky airbase in occupied Crimea, where 12 concrete shelters have been built and are operational. These structures not only house aircraft but also store Orion reconnaissance-strike drones.photo: Defense ExpressIn contrast, the airbase in Dzhankoy, in the northern part of the peninsula, has been abandoned by Russian forces. This likely stems from the base’s proximity to the front line—around 150 km—being considered too risky. Unlike the situation with Khalino, several alternative airbases are available nearby.photo: Defense Express“Summing up, Russian forces are being forced to adapt either by constructing fortified shelters or abandoning vulnerable airfields, regardless of their logistical value. At the same time, these actions appear reactive and lack a coordinated approach to protecting all potential targets,” the analyst concludes.