Ukraine has just launched its largest drone attack yet on Russian military strategic bombers stationed in Siberia. Such a move would be an unprecedented escalation in an already-tense standoff between the two countries. The operation, attributed to Ukraine’s SBU domestic intelligence agency, targeted more than 40 warplanes stationed at several military airbases, thousands of kilometers from Ukraine’s borders.
Missile strikes on four Russian military airbases. Among the biggest targets must have been at least as far from the frontlines as Belaya airbase in Irkutsk oblt. Eastern airbase. This airbase is located more than 4,000 kilometers from Ukrainian territory. Aircraft struck included Tu-95 and Tu-22 strategic bombers. Russia has been using these aircraft to launch long-range missiles on civilian infrastructure in Ukrainian cities.
The dramatic footage from the attack showed a line of massive planes, presumably Tu-95 bombers, infernos in the Ukrainian night. One Russian soldier was caught on camera, clearly stunned when he checked the destruction left around him. Servicing aviation assets in front of burning bombers, he said, “It’s fucked here.”
Governor Igor Kobzev of Irkutsk confirmed the incident, stating, “a drone attack on a military unit in the village of Sredny” had taken place. All of this was recently documented by Ukraine’s Kyiv Independent newspaper, which is a must-follow right now.
The drone assault would come in the wake of a huge Russian offensive. Russia shot down 472 drones in one night, the largest one-night total ever documented in the war, and fired seven missiles during the onslaught. This timing raises questions about potential escalations as both sides prepare for peace talks scheduled in Istanbul on Monday.
The operation’s drones were state-of-the-art. Ukraine, even during the war, have designed and built a new model that can fly 3,000 kilometers! So how did this person smuggle these drones into Russia? Before deploying the drones, they camouflaged them by concealing them under the roofs of small wooden structures mounted on pick up trucks.
This latest, far-reaching drone attack is indicative of Ukraine’s determination to disrupt and destroy Russian fighting power in any way possible. Ukrainian leadership, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has stated that a “complete and unconditional ceasefire” is necessary. Certainly, his administration wants peace and stability in the region.
Furthermore, he stated, “I have defined our position before the Monday meeting in Istanbul,” highlighting Ukraine’s commitment to addressing the conflict through diplomatic means while demonstrating military strength.
This drone attack represents a significant shift in Ukraine’s operational doctrine. On the ground, Ukraine is making a real-time pivot to counter and/or frustrate the emerging threats posed by Russia’s improvised military onslaughts. Which is why the ramifications of this strike could shape not only the current hostilities but upcoming talks to end them and reach some sort of final settlement.