Ukraine claims to have struck more than 40 Russian war planes in several military aerodromes, in what seems to be one of the most daring drone attacks to date against Russian aviation.
According to a press release from the Ukraine Security Service, SBU, “enemy strategic bombers burn en masse in Russia”.
The SBU claims that Ukraine leads “a special large -scale operation aimed at destroying enemy bombers”.
Spectacular images have emerged allegedly showing a drone attack at Belaya Airbase in Irkutsk Oblast, Siberia, thousands of kilometers from Ukraine.
The army of Russia did not comment on the issue.
Reports suggest that planes have also been attacked at the Olenya air base, near the city of Murmansk, in the far northwest of Russia.
One source told the BBC Ukraine that planes including strategic nuclear bombers called Tu-95 and TU-22M3, as well as A-50 early alert aircraft were affected.
The Russian media reports the Murmansk attack, but says that the aerial defenses work. The attack in Irkutsk is also reported.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian authorities say that 472 drones and seven ballistic and cruise missiles were involved in a wave of attacks against Ukraine last night.
This would seem to be one of the largest Russian drone attacks so far. Ukraine says it has “neutralized” 385 air targets.
In separate development, Ukraine’s land forces said 12 of its soldiers had been killed and more than 60 injured in a Russian missile strike on a training center.
