Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the operation against several Russian military airfields ” an ” absolutely brilliant success”. According to him, this is the largest operation by Kiev to date. ” One year, six months and nine days - that's how long it took from the beginning of planning to its execution,” Zelensky wrote on his profile in X.
Huge material and strategic damage
Ukrainian secret services carried out a coordinated operation against Russian military airfields and, according to their information, destroyed over 40 aircraft. According to Kiev, this is equivalent to about 34% of Russia's strategic bombers. It is believed that the Russian army used these fighters to attack Ukrainian cities. Ukraine's secret services estimate the material damage at around $7 billion, ARD reports. Since Russia no longer produces long-range Tu-95 bombers, it is possible that significant strategic damage was also caused.
The attacks were also reportedly directed at the Russian military base in Belaya in Eastern Siberia, located in the Irkutsk region, about 4,200 km from the Ukrainian border. The air bases in Diaghilev, Ivanovo and Oleniya in the Murmansk region in the Russian Arctic were also attacked. This region is about 1,900 km from Ukraine. According to Zelensky, 117 drones were used.
Confirmation also from Moscow
Ukrainian services have published a video that allegedly shows the Belaya air base. It shows several burning aircraft and columns of black smoke. Local media also published photos of combat drones that were apparently used in the attacks. They were launched from hiding places in trucks. "At the right moment, the roofs were opened by remote control and the drones took off to attack the Russian bombers," Kiev reported. The information provided by Ukrainian secret services and reports of the details of the attacks cannot be independently verified.
The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed the attacks in the Murmansk and Irkutsk regions and said there were no injuries in the attacks. Moscow said it had arrested suspects in the attack. Ukraine said the attackers had already returned to the country. Kiev's secret services say that if Moscow reports arrests, it is "for internal needs only".
More mutual attacks in recent days
In recent days, Russia has been expected to carry out another large-scale attack on Ukraine. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that on Sunday the Russian army sent 472 drones against Ukraine. According to Ukrainian military intelligence, a freight train was blown up on Saturday evening in a part of the Zaporizhia region controlled by Russian troops. According to the intelligence service, the military train with fuel tanks and freight cars derailed as a result of an explosion on the rail bed.
The announcement was made after two incidents that occurred in Russia on Sunday evening. In the Kursk and Bryansk regions bordering Ukraine, two trains derailed after bridges collapsed. According to authorities, at least seven people died. Russia's Investigative Committee has described the bridge collapses as a terrorist act. Ukraine has yet to comment.
According to information from Kiev, at least twelve soldiers were also killed in a Russian missile attack on a Ukrainian army training unit. More than 60 people were also injured, according to a statement from the ground forces. The massive attacks from both sides came a day before the next round of talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul to end the war.