Ukraine claims that since the beginning of the war, Ukraine has hit more than 40 Russian bombers on many military air bases in many military air bases.
Ukrainian security source SBU told the BBC's strategic bombers “burn” in an operation called “spider webs” that was supervised by Vorodimir President Zelensky himself.
Sources said it took a year and a half to organize the strike: the drone hidden in the wooden mobile cabin has placed a remote open roof on a truck that was brought near the air conditioner and then opened fire at the “right time.”
Russian troops later confirmed the Ukrainian attacks in five regions on Sunday, calling them “acts of terror.”
Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities reported a one-night drone and missile attack on its territory.
All this is because negotiators from Russia and Ukraine will travel to Istanbul, Turkey for a second round of peace talks on Monday.
Expectations are low, as the two warring aspects are still far apart in how to end the war.
Russian President Vladimir Putin carried out a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Moscow currently controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory, including the Crimean Peninsula annexed in 2014.
Four Russian air bases, two of which are thousands of miles from Ukraine, were hit, said SBU's BBC source:
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Belaya, Irkutsk Oblast, Siberia
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Olenya
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Dyagilevo in downtown Rhea
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Ivanovo in central Ivanovo
Russia later said it faces attacks from locations in five regions.
Among the popular Russian aircraft, it is a strategic nuclear bomber called the TU-95 and TU-22M3, and the A-50 early warning fighter, SBU sources said.
They describe the entire operation as “logically extremely complex.”
“The SBU first smuggled the FPV drone to Russia, followed by the mobile wooden pod. Once on Russian territory, the drones were hidden under the roofs of these cabins, which were already placed on vans,” the source said.
“At the right moment, the roof was opened remotely and the drone took off and attacked the Russian bomber.”
Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev confirmed that the drones that attacked the Belaya military base in Sredniy, Siberia were fired in trucks.
Kobzev posted on the telegram saying that the launch site has been protected and does not pose a threat to life.
Russian media also reported that other attacks emerged from trucks.
A user was heard saying that the drones were flying out of a Camas truck near the gas station.
Sources from BBC sources said: “Preliminary estimates indicate that the damage caused by Russian Airlines exceeds US$20 billion (£1.5 billion)”.
Russian media reported on the attacks in Murmansk but said air defense was working. Irkutsk attacks were also reported.
Screenshots of footage released by Ukraine allegedly showing drone attacks on Russian fighter jets [SBU source]
In an article on social media late Sunday, the Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed that the air force tables in five regions of the country were attacks.
It claimed that “all attacks were encountered” at military air bases in the Ivanovo, Reshan and Amur regions. The latter basis is not mentioned by the SBU source.
The ministry said that after drones were launched from nearby areas, “several aircraft caught fire” in the Murmansk and Irkutsk regions.
It said all the fires were put out and no casualties were found. It added: “Some participants in the terrorist attack have been detained.”
Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities said 472 drones and seven ballistic and cruise missiles were involved in a wave of attacks on Ukraine last night.
This appears to be one of the largest Russian drone attacks to date. Ukraine said it “neutralized” 385 aerial targets.
Ukraine's army said in another development that 12 of its military personnel were killed and more than 60 injured during a Russian missile strike at the training center.
Maj Gen Mykhailo Drapatyi, head of the Ukraine land force, will resign soon.
His decision, he said, was “a decision of my personal responsibility for the tragedy.”
