Ukraine carried out what it says is its biggest long-range attack since the war with Russia began, using 117 drones to strike four Russian military airbases and damage 40 warplanes on Sunday.
President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the operation, dubbed “Spider’s Web,” was conducted by the SBU security service and took 18 months to plan.
He said the drones targeted about 34% of Russia’s strategic cruise missile carriers and praised the “brilliant result” of the mission. Zelensky posted on X late Sunday night:
Today, a brilliant operation was carried out — on enemy territory, targeting only military objectives, specifically the equipment used to strike Ukraine. Russia suffered significant losses — entirely justified and deserved.
Sources from the SBU told the BBC the operation involved smuggling drones and mobile cabins into Russia, where drones were hidden inside trucks and launched remotely near the airbases.
The damage to Russia’s strategic aviation is estimated at $7 billion, though this has not been independently verified.
The four airbases hit were Belaya (Irkutsk, Siberia), Olenya (Murmansk, northwest Russia), Dyagilevo (Ryazan), and Ivanovo (Ivanovo region).
Among the aircraft damaged were Tu-95 and Tu-22M3 nuclear-capable bombers and A-50 early warning planes.
Russia confirmed attacks in five regions and labelled the strikes a “terrorist act.” In Irkutsk, Governor Igor Kobzev confirmed drones were launched from a truck and said the launch site had been secured.
Meanwhile, Russia also launched missile and drone strikes on Ukraine over the weekend. At least six people, including a child, were injured in Kharkiv.
Despite these escalations, Russian and Ukrainian negotiators are set to meet in Istanbul on Monday for a new round of peace talks, though expectations remain low.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and currently controls around 20% of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea.
More: BBC News
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