Special Ukrainian operation targets more than 40 'enemy bombers' deep inside Russia, source says
Ukraine hit more than 40 Russian bomber aircraft at four bases across Russia, using drones smuggled into the country and launched remotely off the back of trucks, security sources said.
It is one of the most audacious Ukrainian special operations since the start of Vladimir Putin's war more than three years ago - and is a huge breach of Russia's national defences.
The targeting of the bomber force will degrade the Russian military's ability to launch missile strikes against Ukraine.
Ukraine war:
Videos shared with Sky News by Ukraine's SBU Security Service purport to show a line of Russian strategic bombers with smoke billowing out of them.
"Enemy strategic bombers are massively burning in Russia - this is the result of a special SBU operation," a security source said.
The operation - codenamed "web" - sounds more like a plot from a science fiction movie than reality, but it shows how new technology has transformed the battlefield.
It also reveals the vulnerability of large bases and expensive pieces of military equipment.
A security source said Ukrainian operatives smuggled first-person view (FPV) drones into Russia.
They then brought in a load of wooden, flat-pack, garden office-style containers.
These huts were constructed, with the drones hidden inside them, before being put on to the back of trucks and driven to locations from where the attacks were launched.
At the right moment, hatches on the roofs of the huts were opened remotely, and the drones were piloted onto their targets, according to the source.
Read more:Girl, 9, killed in Russian missile attack
The source said the mission took one and a half years to plan and was supervised by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Sources said the individuals who took part in this special operation have been back in Ukraine for a long time.
They claimed that anyone detained in Russia by the Russian authorities would be just for show.
Offering details of the actual attack, a second source said: "Right now, the Security Service of Ukraine is conducting a large-scale special operation to destroy enemy bombers in the rear of Russia.
"The SBU drones are targeting aircraft that bomb Ukrainian cities every night. So far, more than 40 planes have been hit, including A-50, Tu-95 and Tu-22 M3."
The Tu-95 and Tu-22 are both heavy bombers that can fire cruise missiles.
At least one of the videos shared with Sky News is purportedly of the Belaya airfield, more than 2,500 miles from the Ukrainian border.
Sources claimed to have inflicted more than $2bn (£1.4bn) worth of damage on the Russian air force.
"We are waiting for the details. And we hope that the number of hit aircraft will increase!" one source said.
The latest toll was 41 aircraft, according to Ukrainian sources.
The other Russian airbases targeted by Ukraine were: Diagilevo, Olenya and Ivanovo airfields.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNBC
27 minutes ago
- CNBC
Gold retreats from near four-week peak as dollar ticks up
Gold prices fell on Tuesday, retreating from near a four-week high, as a modest rise in the dollar weighed on the metal, although uncertainty over the U.S.-China trade agreement kept investors cautious and limited the bullion's decline. Spot gold fell 0.3% to $3,369.98 an ounce, as of 0249 GMT, after hitting its highest level since May 8 earlier in the session. U.S. gold futures were steady at $3,390. The metal gained about 2.7% in the previous session, marking its strongest daily performance in more than three weeks. "Dollar recovered slightly and gold came down so it has been inversely correlated at this point of time," said Brian Lan, managing director at GoldSilver Central, Singapore. However, gold is still closely tracking developments around global trade, and while investors have slightly reduced their positions in gold it is not to the extent seen in previous instances when tensions appeared to ease, said Lan. The U.S. dollar index recovered slightly from a six-week low. U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will likely speak this week, White House said on Monday, days after Trump accused China of violating an agreement to roll back tariffs and trade restrictions. U.S. tariffs on imported steel and aluminum are scheduled to double to 50% starting on Wednesday, coinciding with the Trump administration's deadline for countries to submit their best offers in trade negotiations. The European Commission said on Monday it would make a strong case this week for the U.S. to reduce or eliminate tariffs despite Trump's decision to double import duties on steel and aluminum. Meanwhile, Russia told Ukraine at peace talks on Monday that it would only agree to end the war if Kyiv gives up big new chunks of territory and accepts limits on the size of its army, according to a memorandum reported by Russian media. Elsewhere, spot silver fell 2.1% to $34.07 an ounce, platinum was steady at $1,062.46 and palladium was up 0.1% at $990.26.
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Russia stalling, staging 'diplomatic show' in peace talks with Ukraine, Umerov says
Defense Minister Rustem Umerov on June 2 slammed Russia for only providing its memorandum of a peace proposal at talks earlier in the day, saying that "the Russians are once again stalling for time." "(I)f this is just another attempt to buy time, then there should be one response: tougher international sanctions," Umerov said in a post to Facebook. "Our documents were submitted in advance. In contrast, the Russian 'memorandum' appeared only today — during the meeting itself. This created conditions that prevented the meeting from delivering the results needed to end the war," he added. Ukraine and Russia held another round of peace talks on June 2, after their first meeting in Istanbul on May 16. Both rounds of talks were largely inconclusive, with Russia reiterating its rejection of a ceasefire. Umerov attended the peace negotiations in Istanbul on June 2, leading Ukraine's 14-member delegation, which included several figures from Ukraine's military, human rights, and legal sectors. Umerov also led Ukraine's 12-member delegation on May 16. "We conveyed the positions formulated by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. One of the key points — an unconditional ceasefire for at least 30 days. This has been our principle and the position of our partners for many months," Umerov said. Russia only proposed a temporary two- to three-day ceasefire in specific areas of the front line to allow for the retrieval of fallen soldiers' bodies. "Russia rejects even the very idea of stopping the killings. That's why we appeal to the world: pressure is needed for real peace, not for an imitation of negotiations," Umerov said. At the first round of peace talks, both sides agreed to a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange, which took place from May 23-25. On June 2, Ukraine and Russia agreed to work on another prisoner exchange with up to 1,200 captives from each side. Zelensky, later on June 2, criticized Russia's proposal for a 2–3-day local ceasefire to retrieve the bodies of fallen soldiers, speaking during an online press conference attended by the Kyiv Independent. Read also: Operation Spiderweb — everything we know about Ukraine's 'audacious' attack on Russia's heavy bombers We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
UK threatens to sue Abramovich over Chelsea sale
The UK government has threatened to sue former Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich to make sure the money from the club's sale goes to Ukraine. The £2.5bn in proceeds have been frozen in a UK bank account since the sale, with Mr Abramovich sanctioned after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The UK government wants the money to be for Ukrainian humanitarian aid, but Mr Abramovich has said he wants it to go to "all victims of the war in Ukraine". In a joint statement, Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: "While the door for negotiations will remain open, we are fully prepared to pursue this through the courts if required." They said they wanted "to ensure people suffering in Ukraine can benefit from these proceeds as soon as possible". They added: "The government is determined to see the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea Football Club reach humanitarian causes in Ukraine, following Russia's illegal full-scale invasion. "We are deeply frustrated that it has not been possible to reach agreement on this with Mr Abramovich so far". The delay in releasing the funds centres on a disagreement between the UK government and his lawyers. Mr Abramovich - a Russian billionaire who made his fortune in oil and gas - was granted a special licence to sell Chelsea following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, providing he could prove he would not benefit from the sale. He is alleged to have strong ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, something he has denied. He cannot access the £2.5bn sale proceeds under UK sanctions but the money still legally belongs to him. When he announced his decision to sell the club, he said proceeds from the sale would be donated via a foundation "for the benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine", which would include those in Russia. The UK government has pushed back and argued that the funds should only be spent on humanitarian efforts inside Ukraine. A House of Lords committee said last year said it was "incomprehensible" that Mr Abramovich's promise to use the funds to support Ukraine remained unfulfilled, and that the assets remained frozen. "This impasse reflects badly on both Mr Abramovich and the government, which ought to have pushed for a more binding commitment," the report said. Labour ministers yet to hold talks over Abramovich funds Abramovich tax dodge must be probed, HMRC urged Roman Abramovich could owe UK £1bn over tax dodge that helped bankroll Chelsea FC
