A Ukrainian security official said on Sunday that a drone strike carried out by Ukraine had destroyed over 40 Russian aircraft - including nuclear-capable Tu-95 and Tu-22 strategic bombers - inside Russian territory, according to a report by Associated Press.
The Russian Defence Ministry later confirmed that five air bases were targeted by Ukrainian drones, causing damage to an unspecified number of aircraft according to a report by PTI.
“Today, the Kyiv regime staged a terror attack with the use of FPV drones on airfields in the Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur Regions. All terror attacks on military airfields in the Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur Regions were repelled,”
“No casualties were reported either among servicemen or civilians. Some of those involved in the terror attacks were detained,” the Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement.
For the first time it was established that Olenogorsk (Murmansk region) and Sredny (Irkutsk region in Siberia) were attacked from close proximity by using trailer trucks by the attackers.
“As a result of the launch of FPV drones from territories in the close proximity to military airfields in the Murmansk and Irkutsk Regions, several aircraft caught fire. The fires were extinguished,” the Russian MoD said.
Meanwhile, Ukraine reported on Sunday that it faced an unprecedented overnight assault, with 472 Russian drones launched across its territory - the highest number recorded since the invasion began in February 2022.
The Ukrainian air force said it had neautralised 385 of those drones, along with seven missiles also fired by Russia. An air force spokesperson confirmed to AFP that the scale of the drone attack marked a new record.
The intensifying attacks on both sides took place just a day before Ukrainian and Russian delegations are set to hold direct talks in Istanbul.
It is speculated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wants to pressurise Moscow on the eve of tomorrow's second round of peace talks in Istanbul.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to disclose operational details, said the attack took over 1 1/2-year to execute and was personally supervised by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, AP reported.
The operation saw drones transported in containers carried by trucks deep into Russian territory, he said.
The drones reportedly hit 41 bombers stationed at several airfields on Sunday afternoon, including the Belaya air base in Russia’s Irkutsk region, more than 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles) from Ukraine.
It is the first time that a Ukrainian drone has been seen in the region, local Gov. Igor Kobzev said. He also said in a statement that the drone had been launched from a truck.
Russian officials in the Ryazan and Murmansk regions also reported drone activity on Sunday afternoon, but did not give further details.
In a statement on Telegram, Zelenskyy said that Defense 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 earlier urged the Kremlin to provide a promised memorandum outlining its position on ending the war before the meeting. Moscow had stated it would present the memorandum during the talks.
Russian strike hits an army unit
Ukraine's air force confirmed that Russia launched the biggest number of drones on Ukraine.
Russian forces also launched seven missiles alongside the barrage of drones, said Yuriy Ignat, head of communications for the air force.
Earlier on Sunday, Ukraine’s army reported that a Russian missile strike on a military training unit killed at least 12 Ukrainian service members and injured over 60.
The strike occurred at 12:50 p.m., the statement said, emphasizing that no formations or mass gatherings of personnel were being held at the time. An investigative commission was created to uncover the circumstances around the attack that led to such a loss in personnel, the statement said.
The training unit is located to the rear of the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) active front line, where Russian reconnaissance and strike drones are able to strike.
Ukraine’s forces suffer from manpower shortages and take extra precautions to avoid mass gatherings as the skies across the front line are saturated with Russian drones looking for targets.
“If it is established that the actions or inaction of officials led to the death or injury of servicemen, those responsible will be held strictly accountable,” the Ukrainian Ground Forces’ statement said.
Northern pressure
Russia’s Ministry of Defense said Sunday that it had taken control of the village of Oleksiivka in Ukraine’s northern Sumy region. Ukrainian authorities in Sumy ordered mandatory evacuations in 11 more settlements Saturday as Russian forces make steady gains in the area.
Speaking Saturday, Ukraine’s top army chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said that Russian forces were focusing their main offensive efforts on Pokrovsk, Toretsk and Lyman in the Donetsk region, as well as the Sumy border area.
The Russian delegation led by Kremlin aide Vladimir Medynsky has already reached Turkey for Monday's talks.
However, experts say that there is not much hope for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine.
(With inputs from Agencies)
