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KYIV, Ukraine -- The covert operation was described arsenic 1 for the “history books” by Ukraine’s president. In the span of a fewer hours connected Sunday, astir a 3rd of Moscow’s strategical bomber fleet was destroyed oregon damaged with cheaply made drones sneaked into Russian territory, according to Ukrainian officials.
The undertaking by Ukraine’s Security Service, codenamed “Spiderweb,” progressive much than 18 months of painstaking readying and large risk. It was personally overseen by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
It came to fruition astatine a clip successful the 3-year-old warfare erstwhile peace talks person failed to present the unconditional ceasefire long-sought by Kyiv, and arsenic Moscow continues to motorboat record-breaking numbers of drone and rocket barrages.
The onslaught connected Sunday encapsulates Ukraine’s wartime strategy: Outnumbered, outgunned and babelike connected Western partners, Ukrainian subject planners person sought innovative and cost-effective means to nonstop Russian losses, often leaning connected the constituent of surprise.
Here’s what we cognize astir the Ukrainian onslaught truthful far:
Zelenskyy said 117 drones were utilized successful the cognition successful which 4 subject airfields were attacked resulting successful the terrible harm oregon demolition of 34% of Russia’s fleet of aerial rocket carriers.
The analyzable cognition was directed from an bureau that was adjacent doorway to an bureau of the Russian information service, the FSB, Zelenskyy said, without elaborating connected wherever successful Russia it was. Executing it progressive smuggling successful first-person view, oregon FPV, drones to Russia, wherever they were placed successful woody containers, which were yet taken by motortruck adjacent to the airfields.
From there, the drones flew to onslaught Russia’s strategical bombers. Social media footage shared by Russian media connected the time of the onslaught showed drones rising from wrong the containers. By the end, implicit 40 Russian warplanes were severely damaged oregon destroyed with costs estimated to beryllium astir $7 billion, according to Ukraine's information service.
Among the astir striking targets was Belaya aerial basal successful the Siberian portion of Irkutsk — implicit 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles) distant from Ukraine.
Russia’s Defense Ministry successful a connection confirmed the attacks, saying they damaged craft and sparked fires connected aerial bases successful the Irkutsk region, arsenic good arsenic the Murmansk portion successful the north. It said strikes were besides repelled successful the Amur portion successful Russia’s Far East and successful the occidental regions of Ivanovo and Ryazan, the ministry said.
There was nary mode to independently verify the claims from either side.
Strategic aircraft, including the A-50, Tu-95 and Tu-22M, were destroyed successful the attack, according to the SBU.
Moscow has antecedently utilized Tu-95 and Tu-22M long-range bombers to motorboat missiles astatine Ukraine, portion A-50s are utilized to coordinate targets and observe aerial defenses and guided missiles. Ukraine has agelong hoped to degrade Russia’s quality to deploy bombers that motorboat deadly rocket barrages against Ukrainian cities, against which Kyiv has constricted means to respond.
The nonaccomplishment of the planes could trim Russia’s quality to present devastating rocket barrages against Ukraine.
The onslaught comes close arsenic Moscow has unleashed a record-breaking fig of drones and missiles against Ukraine to degrade home weapons accumulation capabilities, shatter morale and devour Kyiv’s constricted quantities of aerial defence missiles. Often these attacks person besides struck civilians.
The onslaught besides gives Ukraine a morale boost astatine a clip erstwhile peace talks person sputtered and could undermine Russian assurance that it tin triumph the warfare with ease.
It was launched a time earlier a circular of nonstop bid talks took spot successful Istanbul connected Monday. It besides occurred connected the aforesaid time arsenic Russia launched a grounds fig of 472 drones against Ukraine successful yet different barrage.
“The force thought it could weaponry Ukraine and termination Ukrainians with impunity and without end. But that is not the case. We volition respond to Russian panic and destruct the force everyplace — astatine sea, successful the air, and connected land,” said the caput of the SBU, Vasyl Maliuk, connected Monday.
“And if necessary, we’ll get them from underground too,” helium added.
Despite suffering setbacks and shortcomings connected the battlefield, passim the warfare Kyiv has sought to absorption connected Russia’s rear to cripple and neutralize combat capabilities.
Sunday’s cognition is possibly the astir brazen successful a bid mounted by Ukraine.
In April 2022, Ukraine sank the Moskva, the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, aft striking it with 2 Ukrainian Neptune anti-ship missiles. The sinking marked a large Ukrainian victory successful the war.
In October 2022, a Ukrainian onslaught damaged the Kerch Bridge, which links Russia to Moscow-annexed Crimea. The bridge, which holds important strategical and symbolic value, was hit again successful July 2023.
A twelvemonth later, successful August 2024, Ukrainian forces launched a daring subject incursion into Russia’s Kursk region, the archetypal clip Russian territory was occupied by an invader since World War II. It dealt a humiliating blow to the Kremlin. Russia claimed successful April 2025 that it had afloat reclaimed the borderline territory, though Ukraine insists it inactive has troops contiguous there.
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