Latest news with #Kobzev
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
After Ukraine's strike on Russian bombers, governor mulls rewarding citizens for attacking UAVs with stones
Russian authorities are weighing whether to reward residents who tried to stop Ukrainian drones by throwing stones at them during a mass drone strike on Russian air bases, Governor of Russia's Irkutsk Oblast Igor Kobzev said on June 2. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has claimed responsibility for the coordinated strike, which it says hit 41 Russian military aircraft across four strategic airfields, including Belaya in Irkutsk Oblast, thousands of kilometers from the Ukrainian border. "In the operational staff, we will evaluate the actions of concerned citizens who tried to interfere with the work of drones and decide on their recognition," Kobzev wrote on Telegram, praising locals for what he called their "non-indifference." Videos that surfaced on Russian social media earlier showed civilians in Irkutsk hurling rocks at first-person-view (FPV) drones flying out of trucks, the same kind of makeshift launch systems Ukrainian intelligence operatives used in a bold and destructive operation on June 1. Named "Spider web," the operation involved smuggling drones hidden in truck-mounted wooden cabins deep into Russia. At the designated moment, the cabin roofs were opened remotely, releasing swarms of explosive-laden FPV drones toward high-value bombers. The SBU later claimed that the strike caused $7 billion in damage and disabled 34% of Russia's cruise missile carrier fleet. The Russian Defense Ministry later acknowledged the attack, calling it a "terrorist act," and confirmed that aircraft caught fire at multiple air bases, including Irkutsk and Murmansk. Read also: Destroyed Russian bombers seen in first satellite images after Ukrainian drone strike We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Hans India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Ukraine claims devastating strike on Russian strategic air assets in Siberia, north Russia
Amid reports that European powers were preparing to lift curbs on Kyiv's use of long-range weaponry and a day before the next round of peace talks, Ukraine on Sunday claimed to have struck over three dozen Russian strategic aviation assets at several military airfields located deep inside Russia, including in Siberia and Murmansk. In what was termed to be one of the most widespread drone attacks so far on the Russian air forces, Ukraine's security service, the SBU, in a statement, said: "Enemy strategic bombers are burning en masse in Russia." Ukraine is conducting "a large-scale special operation aimed at destroying enemy bomber aircraft", it said. Footage has emerged purportedly showing a drone attack at Belaya airbase in Irkutsk oblast, Siberia, thousands of miles from Ukraine, the BBC reported. While the Russian military has not commented on the Ukrainian attacks, authorities in Siberia said several drones targeted a military installation in the Irkutsk Region in "the first such attack in Siberia". Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev said the incident occurred near the settlement of Sredny, about 150 km from Lake Baikal and 70 km from the regional capital, RT reported. He also said that one drone reportedly hit an abandoned building in the nearby village of Novomaltinsk. According to the governor, the drones were launched from a small truck, though the exact number of UAVs involved remains unclear. Unverified footage on social media suggests that at least three drones took part in the raid, RT said. Kobzev added that the launch site had been 'blocked' and that there was 'no threat to the lives and health of civilians.' Emergency services and law enforcement were dispatched to the scene, he said. While Kobzev did not say who was behind the attack, both Russian and Ukrainian media outlets have suggested that the attack was orchestrated by Kiev, RT reported. According to Russian media, the Irkutsk attack coincided with reports of a similar drone strike in the northern Murmansk Region, though details were not available. While officials in the Murmansk region reported a similar drone raid, they did not provide any further details. The latest wave of drone strikes on Russian strategic military assets comes hours before Russia and Ukraine are set for the next round of peace talks in Istanbul.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Watch: Ukraine strikes Russian nuclear bombers in first drone strike deep inside Siberia
Ukraine launched a major drone attack deep into Russian territory, targeting nuclear-capable bombers at a strategic airbase in Siberia. The attack was described as a "large-scale special operation" to destroy long-range enemy aircraft, as per sources quoted by Reuters. A Ukrainian security source told Reuters that over 40 Russian military aircraft were hit in a coordinated drone strike on the Belaya airbase in Irkutsk Oblast—more than 4,300 km from the Ukrainian border. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the assault was carried out by Ukraine's domestic security agency, the SBU, and included strikes on both Tu-95 and Tu-22 bombers, which Russia has used to launch missile attacks on Ukraine. 'Enemy strategic bombers are burning en masse in Russia,' the SBU said in a statement, accompanied by dramatic video footage showing explosions and smoke rising from the site. The Belaya airbase, located near the village of Sredny in eastern Siberia, is known to host Tupolev Tu-22M long-range supersonic bombers. Igor Kobzev, the governor of Irkutsk, confirmed a drone attack on a military unit in the Usolsky district, though he did not mention strategic aviation. In footage he posted on Telegram, drones could be heard overhead as a massive plume of smoke billowed into the sky. Kobzev added that it was the first such incident in that region and said the drones had been launched from a truck. Ukrainian sources told BBC that the strikes also targeted airbase near Murmansk, another hub for Russian strategic aviation. Russian media confirmed a drone attack in the area, while stating that air defences were activated in response. The strikes come as Russia launched what Ukraine's air force described as its largest drone barrage since the start of the full-scale invasion. According to Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ignat, 472 drones and seven missiles were fired at Ukraine on Sunday, with Ukrainian forces reportedly neutralising 385 aerial targets. These developments come amid preparations for a fresh round of direct peace talks in Istanbul, where Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov is set to lead Kyiv's delegation. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine was doing "everything to protect our independence, our state and our people." Sunday also saw a deadly Russian missile strike on a Ukrainian army training unit, killing at least 12 soldiers and injuring over 60, prompting an internal investigation into possible command failures.
India Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
40 Russian aircraft downed in Ukraine's massive drone attack on air base: Report
Ukraine conducted a major drone attack hitting over 40 Russian military aircraft on Sunday, news agency Reuters reported, quoting officials from Ukraine's domestic security agency, Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).The SBU further claimed that the Ukrainian forces hit Russian aircraft, including Tu-95 and Tu-22 strategic bombers, which it deploys to fire long-range missiles at Ukraine, the report Kobzev, the regional governor, said that the Ukrainian drones attacked a military unit in the Sredny settlement in Russia's Irkutsk Explosions and heavy smoke have been observed near the Olenya Air Base in the Murmansk region, Belarusian news media outlet NEXTA reported, while sharing images and videos of the aftermath on X (formerly Twitter)."Preliminary reports suggest a possible drone strike. Olenya is one of Russia's key strategic aviation facilities, hosting aircraft capable of carrying nuclear it clarified that there was no official confirmation of the same, adding that, if confirmed, this would mark one of the most sensitive strikes on Russia's military infrastructure since the start of the was no immediate reports of any injuries or casualties in the drone came a week after Russian forces unleashed 367 drones and missiles across Ukrainian cities, marking the war's largest aerial attack to date. The barrage claimed 13 lives, including three children in Zhytomyr, and injured dozens, with strikes hitting Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Ternopil and Ukraine's air force downed 266 drones and 45 missiles, damage was widespread, with apartment blocks and infrastructure heavily impacted.
