Putin's One LAST Fatal Strike: Ukraine Evacuates 11 Border Towns, Civilians Run For Life
Putin's One LAST Fatal Strike: Ukraine Evacuates 11 Border Towns, Civilians Run For Life
Source: TOI.in
Ukraine has ordered the mandatory evacuation of 11 villages in the Sumy region amid a growing Russian offensive near the northeastern border. Russian forces reportedly captured more territory in Sumy, with Kyiv warning of 50,000 Russian troops near the front. As pressure builds for a ceasefire, peace talks have stalled despite recent prisoner exchanges. Russia now controls around 20% of Ukraine, with ongoing strikes forcing civilians to flee.
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Time of India
37 minutes ago
- Time of India
Ukraine drones hit 5 Russian airbases; 40+ military aircraft destroyed: Official
KYIV: A Ukrainian drone attack has destroyed more than 40 Russian planes deep in Russia's territory, a Ukrainian security official said on Sunday, while Russia pounded Ukraine with missiles and drones a day before the two sides meet for a new round of direct talks in Istanbul. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the attack took over 1.5-year to execute and was personally supervised by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The official said the operation involved hiding explosive-laden drones inside the roofs of wooden sheds and loading them onto trucks that were driven to the perimeter of the air bases. The drones reportedly hit 41 planes stationed at several airfields on Sunday afternoon, including A-50, Tu-95 and Tu-22M aircraft, the official said. Moscow has previously used Tupolev Tu-95 and Tu-22 long-range bombers to launch missiles at Ukraine, while A-50s are used to coordinate targets and detect air defences and guided missiles. Russia's defence ministry in a statement confirmed the attacks, which spanned five airfields: Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan and Amur. Several aircraft caught fire in the Murmansk and Irkutsk regions - 4,000 km from Ukraine - but the other attacks were repelled, the ministry said in a statement, adding that there were no casualties. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Treatment That Might Help You Against Knee Pain Knee pain | search ads Find Now Undo Those details could not be independently verified. Zelensky names team for talks The attack came the same day as Zelensky said Ukraine will send a delegation to Istanbul for a new round of direct peace talks with Russia on Monday. In a statement on Telegram, Zelensky said that defence minister Rustem Umerov will lead the Ukrainian delegation. "We are doing everything to protect our independence, our state and our people," Zelensky said. Ukrainian officials had previously called on the Kremlin to provide a promised memorandum setting out its position on ending the war before the meeting takes place. Moscow had said it would share its memorandum during the talks. Russian strike hits army unit Russia on Sunday launched the biggest number of drones - 472 - on Ukraine since the full-scale invasion in Feb 2022, Ukraine's air force said. Russian forces also launched seven missiles alongside the barrage of drones, said Yuriy Ignat, head of communications for the air force. Earlier Sunday, Ukraine's army said at least 12 Ukrainian service members were killed and more than 60 were injured in a Russian missile strike on an army training unit. The strike occurred at 12.50pm, the statement said, emphasising that no formations or mass gatherings of personnel were being held at the time. Ukrainian army commander Mykhailo Drapatyi later on Sunday submitted his resignation following the attack. The training unit was located to the rear of the 1,000-km active front line, where Russian reconnaissance and strike drones are able to strike. Ukraine's forces lack troops and take extra precautions to avoid mass gatherings as the skies across the front line are saturated with Russian drones.
India.com
37 minutes ago
- India.com
Operation Spider's Web': How Ukraine's Daring Drone Assault On Russia Could Shape Peace Talks
New Delhi: As smoke still rises from scorched Russian airbases, two delegations make their way to Istanbul - not with olive branches, but with blueprints and battle scars. Ukraine's drone strikes, a long-range assault code-named 'Spider's Web', have sent shockwaves through Russia's strategic air command just hours before peace negotiators sit down for an important second round of talks. The timing is no coincidence. Targeting Russian aviation strongholds as far as 4,000 kilometers from Ukraine's borders, Sunday's drone blitz was hailed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a "brilliant result" and a historic milestone. Ukraine claims it knocked out over 40 aircraft, including bombers and early-warning planes - the aircraft believed to be central to attacks on Ukrainian cities. But this was no spur-of-the-moment counterstrike. It was the climax of 18 months of covert planning, drone smuggling and precise execution by Ukraine's Security Service. Zelenskyy called it Ukraine's longest-range operation so far and one that 'will be in history books". And now, with the smoke still settling and the world watching, both Kyiv and Moscow are set to meet again in the halls of diplomacy, not the theater of war. What Ukraine Is Bringing to the Table for Peace Talks As the Istanbul negotiations resume today, the mood is anything but hopeful. Ukraine arrives with a detailed peace roadmap, a document obtained by Reuters that lays out a multi-stage path to a ceasefire and, potentially, to an endgame in Europe's most devastating war since the World War-II. Ukraine is going to offer a 30-day ceasefire to halt hostilities and allow humanitarian actions such as prisoner exchanges, the return of Ukrainian children and a proposal for a direct Zelenskyy-Putin summit - a meeting that has long been theorised but never realised. The proposal also aims to expand the scope of diplomacy by involving the United States and European powers and framing the resolution not just as a Ukraine-Russia matter, but a continental turning point with global stakes. But Kyiv is not backing down from its red lines. It reiterates demands for no restrictions on Ukraine's post-war defense capabilities, no recognition of Russian territorial control and full reparations for war damages It can further propose current front-line positions serve as a starting point for territorial talks - a suggestion that could further complicate already fragile diplomacy. Russia's Silence, Medinsky's Hint Russia has so far formally responded to the Ukrainian proposal. Asked about the drone strikes and whether they would impact Monday's discussions, Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky replied, 'Wait for tomorrow.' It signals anything from quiet preparation to explosive retaliation. The Kremlin's recent rhetoric has hinted at openness to a second round of Istanbul talks, even as it grapples with the embarrassment and potential military fallout of Ukraine's drone offensive. For Moscow, Sunday may go down as a 'black day for aviation", as one pro-Russian military blog put it. For Kyiv, it is something closer to a warning shot - a message that Ukraine's hand at the table is not weak and that its reach, both militarily and diplomatically, is growing. Diplomacy in Drones' Shadow It is hard to miss the symbolism. Just as diplomats prepare to exchange paper in Istanbul, unmanned drones, smuggled and hidden in trucks, have delivered a different kind of message across Russian skies. The Istanbul summit is not only about peace terms, it is about leverage. And with Operation Spider's Web, Kyiv is making the case that battlefield innovation can balance political inequality and that even a besieged nation can dictate terms when it plays its cards right. Whether the second round of talks ends in progress or deadlock, the world will be watching. Not just for what is said behind closed doors but for what happens next in the skies above.
Time of India
39 minutes ago
- Time of India
"Brilliant operation carried out on enemy territory, Russia suffered significant losses": Zelenskyy
In his address to the nation on Sunday, Zelenskyy thanked Ukraine's Security Service and all those involved in the operation and mentioned that 117 drones were used in the operation. He noted that the preparation of the operation took over a year and a half and mentioned that planning, organisation and every detail were perfectly executed. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Not for a single second did we want this war. We offered the Russians a ceasefire. Since March 11, the U.S. proposal for a full and unconditional ceasefire has been on the table. It was the Russians who chose to continue the war - even under conditions where the entire world is... - Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 1, 2025 Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that Ukrainian armed forces had conducted a "brilliant operation" in Russia aimed "exclusively at military targets." He said the operation inflicted significant losses on Russia, which he termed as "justified and deserved."In his address to the nation on Sunday, Zelenskyy thanked Ukraine 's Security Service and all those involved in the operation and mentioned that 117 drones were used in the operation. He noted that the preparation of the operation took over a year and a half and mentioned that planning, organisation and every detail were perfectly said, "Just now, I received a report from Head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Vasyl Maliuk - a brilliant operation was carried out. It took place on enemy territory and was aimed exclusively at military targets - specifically, the equipment used in strikes against Ukraine. Russia suffered truly significant losses - entirely justified and deserved. I thank the Security Service, General Maliuk personally, as well as everyone who was involved in the operation. The preparation took over a year and a half. Planning, organization, and every detail was perfectly executed. I can say with certainty that this is an absolutely unique operation.""What's most interesting - and this can now be stated publicly - is that the "office" of our operation on Russian territory was located directly next to FSB headquarters in one of their regions. In total, 117 drones were used in the operation - with a corresponding number of drone operators involved. 34% of the strategic cruise missile carriers stationed at air bases were hit. Our personnel operated across multiple Russian regions - in three different time zones. And the people who assisted us were withdrawn from Russian territory before the operation, they are now safe. It is genuinely satisfying when something I authorized a year and six months ago comes to fruition and deprives Russians of over forty units of strategic aviation. We will continue this work," he said that Ukraine's intelligence, before the operation, indicated that Russia was preparing another massive strike. He urged people not to ignore the air raid alerts."Even before this operation was carried out, we had intelligence indicating that Russia was preparing another massive strike. And it is very important for all our people not to ignore the air raid alerts. Last night, there were nearly 500 Russian drones, attack drones. Each week, they have been increasing the number of units used per strike. Now, they have also prepared Kalibr missiles launched from naval carriers. We know exactly who we are dealing with. And we will defend ourselves by all means available to us - to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. Not for a single second did we want this war," he President said that Ukraine offered a ceasefire to Russia. However, he said that Russia continues to choose the war, even though the US proposal for a full and unconditional ceasefire has been on the table since March 11. He urged international community to pressurise Russia through diplomacy and sanctions."We offered the Russians a ceasefire. Since March 11, the U.S. proposal for a full and unconditional ceasefire has been on the table. It was the Russians who chose to continue the war - even under conditions where the entire world is calling for an end to the killing. And pressure is truly needed - pressure on Russia that should bring it back to reality. Pressure through sanctions. Pressure from our forces. Pressure through diplomacy. All of it must work together," he to the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU), Ukraine has conducted large-scale drone strikes against several air bases deep inside Russia, destroying multiple combat planes. The operation, named "Spiderweb," comes a day ahead of the peace talks scheduled to be held between Russia and Ukraine in operation conducted by Ukraine involved the most ambitious simultaneous strikes on Russian air bases since the war started in 2022. According to an SBU source, over 40 aircraft were known to have been hit, including TU-95 and Tu-22M3 strategic bombers and one of Russia's few remaining A-50 surveillance planes, CNN to the SBU, the operation caused an estimated damage of USD 7 billion and targeted 34 per cent of Russia's strategic cruise missile carriers at its main air airfields targeted included Belaya in Irkutsk, some 4,500 kilometres from Ukraine's border with Russia, and the Dyagilevo base in Ryazan in western Russia, about 520 kilometres from Ukraine. According to the source, the Olenya base near Murmansk in the Arctic Circle was also hit, and the Ivanovo air base was also struck, CNN operation comes as the two warring nations are set to return to peace negotiations on Monday. The talks, which are set to take place in Istanbul, are facing uncertainty, CNN reported. US President Donald Trump has expressed frustration with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for stalling efforts to advance the peace this month, Putin proposed holding "direct talks" in Turkiye, however, he never showed up, despite Zelenskyy expressing willingness to meet. Later, the two nations sent low-level delegations to hold talks.A framework from the Ukrainian delegation includes key principles for the negotiations that include a full and unconditional ceasefire, an exchange of prisoners, and the release of hostages and return of abducted children, according to CNN report.
