Ukrainian Drones Strike Russian Airbases in Bold Long-Range Mission

Ukrainian drones have struck multiple military airfields deep within Russian territory in what is being described as an unprecedented operation, just ahead of upcoming peace negotiations scheduled to begin Monday in Istanbul.

According to Russia’s Ministry of Defence, drone attacks targeted military sites across five regions—Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur—on Sunday. The ministry stated that while most of the attacks were intercepted, successful strikes in Murmansk and Irkutsk led to aircraft catching fire.

“In the Murmansk and Irkutsk regions, FPV drones launched near airfields caused fires on several aircraft,” the ministry confirmed, adding that the blazes were later extinguished and no injuries were reported. Several individuals allegedly linked to the operation were detained.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy commended the strikes, calling them a “brilliant” success. Writing on Telegram, he emphasized that the operation, over a year and a half in the making, had been planned and executed solely by Ukrainian forces. In a separate address, Zelenskyy revealed that 117 drones were deployed in the mission, resulting in significant losses for Russia.

Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) said the attacks inflicted damage on strategic aircraft worth approximately $7 billion. The targeted airbases, including Belaya in Irkutsk and Olenya in Murmansk, lie far from the Ukrainian front lines—roughly 4,300 km and 1,800 km away, respectively.

Reports from Ukrainian media, citing SBU sources, indicated that the primary goal was to neutralize Russia’s strategic bombers well beyond the active combat zone. The drones, reportedly concealed in trucks, were launched from positions close to the airfields. According to these sources, 41 heavy bombers were damaged across four separate bases.

Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Moscow, Dorsa Jabbari, noted the complexity of the operation, which appeared to involve individuals operating from within Russia. “This is the most extensive single-day strike on Russian airbases since the start of the war in February 2022,” she said, pointing out that the affected sites house aircraft used in long-range attacks on Ukraine.

From Kyiv, Al Jazeera’s John Hendren described the mission as a daring move by Ukraine. “It’s a calculated and long-awaited response to the recent surge in Russian aerial assaults,” he reported.

Source: Al Jazeera

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Russian Ukraine Conflicts