Ukraine launched drones from trucks parked deep inside Russia in ‘modern Pearl Harbor' attack
New chilling details have emerged as Ukrainian drones on Sunday reportedly destroyed at least 40 Russian planes in an attack on the eve of peace talks between the two countries.
According to a social media post by Murtaza Hussain, a journalist at Drop Site News, the FPV drones used by Ukraine were launched from trucks parked inside the Russian territory.
'The FPV drones were reportedly launched from trucks parked inside Russian territory and deployed from the top of removable roofs,' he said on X.
Hussain described the attack as 'modern Pearl Harbor'.
'Despite losing territory to Russian advances in recent months the UA has pulled off a modern Pearl Harbor. I would brace for serious retaliation.'
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise air raid by Japan on the US in 1941, in the midst of the World War II.
In a surprise drone attack, Ukraine claimed to destroy more than 40 Russian planes deep in Russia's territory, as per a report by The Associated Press quoting sources.
While the official source quoted by AP could not share operational details, they said the attack took over a year to execute and was personally supervised by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The drones were transported in containers carried by trucks deep into Russian territory, as per the report.
The drones hit airfields including the Belaya air base in Russia's Irkutsk region, more than 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles) from Ukraine. It is the first time that a Ukrainian drone has been seen in the region, local Gov. Igor Kobzeva said, stressing that it did not present a threat to civilians.
The attack was disclosed on 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, Zelenskyy said that Defense Minister Rustem Umerov will lead the Ukrainian delegation. 'We are doing everything to protect our independence, our state and our people,' Zelensky said.
Meanwhile, Russia on Sunday launched the biggest number of drones — 472 — on Ukraine since the full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine's air force said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
21 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Hegseth will skip a meeting on organizing military aid to Ukraine in a first for the US
WASHINGTON — For the first time since the U.S. created an international group to coordinate military aid to Ukraine three years ago, America's Pentagon chief will not be in attendance when more than 50 other defense leaders meet Wednesday. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who returned from a national security conference in Singapore on Sunday, will not arrive in Brussels until Wednesday evening, after the Ukraine Defense Contact Group's meeting is over. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss scheduling details, confirmed that Hegseth also will not participate by video conference. It is the latest in a series of steps that the U.S. has taken to distance itself from the Ukraine war effort. And it comes on the heels of French President Emmanuel Macron's warning at the security conference last weekend that the U.S. and others risk a dangerous double standard if their concentration on a potential conflict with China is done at the cost of abandoning Ukraine. France and other NATO nations are concerned that the U.S. is considering withdrawing troops from Europe to shift them to the Indo-Pacific. Macron said abandoning Ukraine would eventually erode U.S. credibility in deterring any potential conflict with China over Taiwan. Hegseth's predecessor, Lloyd Austin, created the group after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Since then, more than 50 member nations have collectively provided Ukraine with some $126 billion in weapons and military assistance, including over $66.5 billion from the U.S. Under Austin's leadership, the U.S. served as chair of the group, and he and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff attended monthly meetings, which were both in person and by video. Hegseth has upended that position by stepping away from a leadership role, providing no new military aid and now abandoning the gathering altogether. During his first meeting with the group and a subsequent NATO defense ministers gathering in Brussels in February, Hegseth warned that Ukraine should abandon its NATO bid and its push to reclaim all Russian-occupied territory. And he signaled that President Donald Trump is determined to get Europe to assume most of the financial and military responsibilities for Ukraine's defense. Since Trump took office, there have been no new announcements of U.S. military or weapons aid to Ukraine. Hegseth also turned leadership of the group over to Germany and the United Kingdom. While he will not attend Wednesday's session, Gen. Christopher Cavoli, head of U.S. European Command and NATO's supreme allied commander, will be there. In Washington, meanwhile, a senior Ukrainian delegation led by First Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko is in town for talks about defense, sanctions and postwar recovery, said Andrii Yermak, the head of Ukraine's presidential office. The Ukrainians met with U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg, discussing recent talks with the Russians and conditions on the battlefield, Yermak posted on social media. Svyrydenko and Yermak also are expected to meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other officials Wednesday. Associated Press writer Tara Copp in Washington contributed to this report.
India.com
28 minutes ago
- India.com
Why Russia's S-400 Failed To Counter Ukrainian Drones; What India Got Right With Its Layered Air Defense
New Delhi: On June 1, 2025, the world witnessed an eye-opening breach of Russia's military defenses. Launched from inside hidden containers, Ukrainian drones penetrated more than 4,000 kilometers deep into Russian territory and hit multiple airbases in an operation code named 'Spider Web'. At least 40 Russian aircraft were destroyed. It assault left global military analysts stunned. But more shocking than the attack was the failure of Russia's vaunted S-400 and S-500 air defense systems. These high-end platforms, touted as some of the best in the world, could not stop a fleet of low-flying and autonomous drones. Why? The S-400's Blind Spot Russia's failure was not purely a technological one, it was strategic. The S-400 is built to intercept high-altitude threats such as enemy aircraft, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. But it falters against low-flying and slow-moving drones that often fly below radar coverage. Add to that the lack of low-level air defense, a unified command system and real-time threat intelligence and even the most advanced system becomes vulnerable. In essence, the S-400 was looking too far, while the real danger was up close. Having observed global battlefield trends and drawn key lessons from conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine war, India has adopted a more adaptive strategy. Instead of relying solely on high-tech imports like the S-400, India has built a layered and integrated air defense model. This strategy was tested and validated during the recent Operation Sindoor, where India not only thwarted a multi-pronged drone and missile attack from Pakistan but also launched a precise counterstrike that neutralised enemy radars, HQ-9 systems and terrorist camps. The Game-Changer At the centre of India's new defense posture lies Akashteer, a real-time and automated air defense control system developed indigenously. It is more than a radar. It is a command nerve center that connects the Air Force, the Army and the Navy on a single grid. Akashteer tracks, prioritises and assigns aerial threats to the most suitable interceptor, be it a missile, drone or gun, within seconds. Its key advantages include 360-degree coverage against drones, aircraft and cruise missiles, faster decision-making and automated threat response, seamless coordination among all armed services and reduced risk of friendly fire, Old Meets New One of the unsung heroes of Operation Sindoor was the upgraded L-70 anti-aircraft gun. Originally introduced decades ago, it has now been modernised with electronic fire control systems and target-tracking radars. These guns are now capable of shooting down drones and helicopters flying as low as 3,000 metres. Complementing this is the Akash missile system, designed to take out threats up to 25 km away. When deployed together in a 'battle grid', they cover both low-level intrusions and high-flying aerial threats – something the S-400 cannot do alone. Why This Mix-Match Formula Matters The future of warfare is asymmetric. From drone swarms launched from shipping containers to precision attacks from behind enemy lines, conventional systems like the S-400 are no longer enough. India's terrain and adversaries, ranging from China in the northeast to Pakistan in the west, require a multi-threat, all-weather and all-altitude defense approach. A single-tier system simply cannot cover such a wide spectrum. What also sets India apart is the growing reliance on indigenously developed systems. From Akashteer and Akash missiles to modernised L-70 guns and homegrown radar systems, India's air defense ecosystem is increasingly self-reliant. This boosts not only operational flexibility, but also economic and industrial strength. The ability to custom-build systems for specific missions, without relying on external supply chains, has become a strategic advantage, especially in a post-COVID and post-Ukraine world marked by global disruptions. What happened in Russia is a warning – expensive technology alone cannot win wars. Without intelligent integration, adaptive systems and multi-layered coordination, even the best platforms can be rendered obsolete. India's layered air defense, rooted in homegrown tech, joint-force coordination and rapid-response automation, is emerging as a global model for modern warfare. As the world is faced with new-age aerial threats, India's 'high-tech + low-level' fusion may just be the blueprint others follow.
Deccan Herald
an hour ago
- Deccan Herald
Trump was not informed of Ukraine drone attacks in advance: White House
On Sunday, Ukraine said it launched 117 drones in an operation code-named 'Spider's Web' to attack Russian nuclear-capable long-range bomber planes at airfields in Siberia and the far north of the country.
