Ukraine destroys more than 40 Russian military aircraft in massive drone attack
The attack came the same day as Zelenskyy said Ukraine would send a delegation to Istanbul for a new round of direct peace talks with Russia on Monday
A massive Ukrainian drone attack has destroyed more than 40 Russian planes deep in Russia's territory, a Ukrainian security official told The Associated Press on Sunday (June 1), while Russia pounded Ukraine with missiles and drones a day before the two sides meet for a new round of direct talks in Istanbul.
Ukraine's domestic security agency, Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), claimed that the Ukrainian forces hit Russian aircraft, including Tu-95 and Tu-22 strategic bombers, which it deploys to fire long-range missiles at Ukraine, as per a Reuters report.
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The attack is aimed at destroying enemy bombers far from the front, in Russia, news agency AFP reported, quoting a source, who added that a fire broke out at the targeted air base.
If confirmed, the strikes would be the most damaging Ukrainian drone attack of the war and would be a significant setback for Moscow.
Military unit targeted
Igor Kobzev, the regional governor, said that the Ukrainian drones attacked a military unit in the Sredny settlement in Russia's Irkutsk region.
Explosions and heavy smoke have been observed near the Olenya Air Base in the Murmansk region, Belarusian news media outlet NEXTA reported, while sharing images and videos of the aftermath on social media platform X.
Preliminary reports suggest a possible drone strike. Olenya is one of Russia’s key strategic aviation facilities, hosting aircraft capable of carrying nuclear weapons. There were no immediate reports of any injuries or casualties in the drone attack.
This came a week after Russian forces unleashed 367 drones and missiles across Ukrainian cities, marking the war's largest aerial attack to date. The barrage claimed 13 lives, including three children in Zhytomyr, and injured dozens, with strikes hitting Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Ternopil and Khmelnytskyi.
Though Ukraine's air force downed 266 drones and 45 missiles, damage was widespread, with apartment blocks and infrastructure heavily impacted.
How Kyiv planned operation
The operation has been launched under a special operation code-named “Pavutyna” - or ”Spider Web” - aimed at degrading Russia's long-range strike capabilities, according to a Ukrainian publication, Pravda.
Ukraine reportedly planned the attack for a year. The drones were hidden in mobile wooden sheds, which were placed on cargo trucks. At chosen times, the roofs of trucks opened remotely, giving time for drones to flow out and target the chosen airbases.
Ukraine, which lacks Russia's vast arsenal of missiles, has instead built up a large fleet of attack drones, which it has used to attack Russian military and oil facilities in the past as well.
Peace talks in Istanbul
The attack came the same day as Zelenskyy said Ukraine would send a delegation to Istanbul for a new round of direct peace talks with Russia on Monday.
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In a statement on Telegram, Zelenskyy said that Defence Minister Rustem Umerov will lead the Ukrainian delegation. “We are doing everything to protect our independence, our state and our people,” Zelenskyy said.
Ukrainian officials had previously called on the Kremlin to provide a promised memorandum setting out its position on ending the war before the meeting takes place. Moscow had said it would share its memorandum during the talks.
The recent peace talks between Ukraine and Russia on May 16 ended without agreement. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow has drafted a memorandum outlining its terms for a ceasefire but has yet to share it with Ukraine.