Spider web operation: In the fourth year of the war, shelters for aircraft (photo) began to build in the Russian Federation

The works continue on military bases within Russia: in Yeysk, Crimean, Primorsky-Akhtarsk, at Hansk Air Base in Adigei, as well as in Millervo, Akhtubin, Borisoglib, Kursk, Lipetsk and at the Aviation Aviation in Engels.

Although the reasons for the intensification of construction were not officially voiced, experts associate it with the consequences of the Ukrainian operation of the SBU "Web", during which, according to Ukrainian sources, dozens of Russian aircraft, including strategic bombers, were harmed. As it turned out, the decision on the construction of shelter for aviation equipment was made in 2021 - Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Sergei Shoig.

Within the framework of the aerodrome network development program, more than 300 shelters were erected, in particular for fifth generation fighters, synchronously with their supply to the troops. In addition, in May 2025, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation published video materials, where the head of the department Andriy Belousov demonstrate block and modular structures of shelters of various purposes.

Among other things, there is a shelter for transport and far aircraft, including TU-160 rocket launchers. So far, these are only light tertiary shelters (TMUs) that provide protection against precipitation and visual surveillance from satellites. Against the backdrop of the successful operation of the Web, a discussion of the reasons why strategic bombers and aircraft of longitudinal aircraft were unprotected among Russian bloggers and experts.

Thus, Russian military expert Oleg Shaldin claims that the construction of shelters for strategic aviation is devoid of practical meaning, because the equipment is not in a permanent place. "No one makes a shelter for a nuclear triad aircraft. These machines are constantly in the air or readiness for departure, so spend time on a detachment in the hangars and withdrawing back is a waste of time," he said. However, historical and foreign experience refutes this argument.

China has been building a protected infrastructure for its heavy H-6 bombers since the 1960s. Many Chinese air tabas are equipped with underground hangar complexes directly on the runway, with some of such objects operating and upgraded. In the US, despite the developed infrastructure, there are indeed hangar hangars for all strategic aviation aircraft.

However, the US situation is different - the country has not been attacked from the air for decades, unlike Russia, which has been running a full -scale war for more than three years. There were also opinions about the strategic offensive agreement (S-III), in which strategic bombers should not be hidden in hangars for constant monitoring by the parties to the contract.