Ukraine conducts 'large-scale' attack against Russian aircraft

RTÉ News​

2 days ago

Ukraine has launched a "large-scale" attack against Russian military aircraft, hitting a base in eastern Siberia thousands of kilometres from its border, a source within the Ukrainian security services said.
"Ukrainian security services are carrying out a large-scale special operation aimed at destroying enemy bombers far from the front, in Russia," the source said, adding that more than 40 aircraft had been hit and a fire broke out the targeted Belaya air base.
Unverified video and pictures posted on social media showed Russian strategic bombers - whose purpose is to drop nuclear bombs on distance targets - on fire at the Belaya air base north of Irkutsk.
Reuters was unable to immediately verify the footage but in Kyiv, a Ukrainian intelligence official said that Ukraine's domestic security agency, the SBU, conducted a large drone attack on over 40 Russian military aircraft.
The Ukrainian source, speaking on condition of anonymity in Kyiv, said the struck aircraft included Tu-95 and Tu-22 strategic bombers, which Russia uses to fire long-range missiles at Ukraine.
Igor Kobzev, the governor of Irkutsk, said that there had been a drone attack on a military unit near the village of Sredny in the Usolsky district, but did not mention strategic aviation.
In video that he posted on Telegram, drones could be heard flying overhead and a giant plume of smoke rising into the sky.
He said, though, that it was the first such attack in that part of Siberia - and added that the number of drones in the attack was unclear. The drones, he said, had been launched from a truck.
The Belaya, or Sredny, airbase is located near the village of Sredny, and hosts Tupolev Tu-22M supersonic long-range strategic bomber, according to open source details about Russia's armed forces.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that a delegation led by his minister Rustem Umerov will be in Istanbul tomorrow for talks with Russia.
"I have also defined our position before the Monday meeting in Istanbul", which includes priorities to reach "a complete and unconditional ceasefire" and the return of prisoners and abducted children, he said on social media.
Russian strike kills 12 Ukrainian soldiers during training
Elsewhere, a Russian missile strike on a Ukrainian army training area killed at least 12 soldiers and wounded dozens more, Kyiv said, in a rare admission of its military losses.
Kyiv did not say where the strike took place, but stressed the soldiers were not taking part in a "mass gathering" and most were in their shelters during the attack.
The Ukrainian army has in recent weeks faced pressure to investigate what some see as glaring lapses in ensuring the safety of training soldiers.
Six soldiers training close to the border were killed by a Russian strike last month, in what one Ukrainian opposition politician called a "crime" by army leadership.
"Today, on June 1, the enemy launched a missile strike on the location of one of the training units of the Ukrainian army," the Ukrainian army said in a statement.
"As of 12:50 pm (0950 GMT), 12 people are known to have been killed and more than 60 wounded."
"If it is established that the deaths and injuries of the servicemen were caused by the actions or inaction of officials, those responsible will be brought to strict accountability," it added.