In an very surprised and unprecedented move, Ukraine has attacked multiple airbases deep inside Russia ahead of peace talks in Istanbul.
The Russian Defence Ministry said Ukraine had launched drone strikes targeting Russian military airfields across five regions causing several aircraft to catch fire.
Vasyl Maliuk, Ukraine’s Security Service Chief, says “Operation Web” took 18 months to prepare to strike numerous Russian strategic sites, including 41 aircrafts.
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Ukrainian sources say the complex operation included smuggling FPV drones and mobile wooden cabins into Russia.
War monitoring journalist Megatron highlights that the drones were hidden under remote-controlled roofs on trucks.
When triggered, the roofs opened and kamikaze drones launched toward Russian bombers.
SBU insiders stress that all operatives involved are already safely back in Ukraine, adding that any arrests by Russian authorities will likely be staged for domestic propaganda.
Multiple source said the attacks occurred in the Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur regions. Air defences repelled the assaults in all but two regions – Murmansk and Irkutsk.
“In the Murmansk and Irkutsk regions, the launch of FPV drones from an area in close proximity to airfields resulted in several aircraft catching fire,” the ministry said.
The fires were extinguished and no casualties were reported. Some individuals involved in the attacks had been detained, the ministry said.
But, the Security Service of Ukraine said on Sunday that it had hit Russian military planes worth a combined $7bn in a wave of drone strikes on Russian air bases thousands of kilometres behind the front lines.