Latest news with #Olenya
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
How Ukraine smuggled drones into Russia to destroy prized nuclear bombers
It hardly seemed credible. Drone after drone, emerging from the top of a shipping container parked by the side of an unremarkable road somewhere deep inside Russia. Each tiny device buzzed as it rose laden with explosives on its kamikaze mission to destroy some of the Russian military's most prized assets. As they flew overhead, filming their progress, their targets came into view: rows of strategic bombers, some capable of carrying nuclear weapons. Ukraine's domestic intelligence agency, the SBU, said it was responsible for the attacks on four bases, and a security official said a total of 41 Russian warplanes worth some $7 billion were hit. The attack comes at a critical juncture in the war, with Donald Trump's peace plan hanging by a thread. But the extraordinary story of how the drones were deployed to launch their attack started many months earlier. Over a period of weeks, they were smuggled into Russia under the supervision of the SBU, which presumably had to alter its targeting plans after Russia relocated the bulk of its strategic bomber fleet. The drones were then concealed inside special containers placed inside commercial cargo lorries whose roof panels had been modified to retract at the touch of a remote control button. By all accounts, the drivers had no idea about the nature of the dangerous cargo they carried. Credit: Telegram / russianocontext Local residents near the Olenya base in Russia's far north described watching a driver running around in panic as FPV drones repeatedly launched from the back of his lorry. He later told police that he had been instructed to park his vehicle in a lay-by near the town of Olenegorsk where somebody would meet him. Footage from elsewhere in Russia showed drones rising from the back of another lorry as passers-by stood by helplessly. It was not the first time that lorries had been used by the Ukrainians in the war. A truck carrying explosives was remotely detonated to help bring down part of the Kerch Bridge connecting Crimea to the Russian mainland in 2020. But this was rather more sophisticated, with reports that the drones had been trained using artificial intelligence to hit the weakest points of the bombers parked along the aprons of the airbases. Fearing Ukraine's growing strike capacity, Russia had only weeks earlier moved many of its strategic bombers to bases like Olenya and Belaya, 1,000km and 2,500km from the front line, where it was assumed they would be well beyond the enemy's reach. Other bases in Ryazan and Ivanovo were also targeted, both of which are within 600 miles of the Ukrainian border. For the Russian air force, the planes targeted were prize assets: the iconic Tupolev Tu-95 'Bear', a long-range strategic bomber capable of carrying both nuclear and conventional warheads; the Tu-160 'Blackjack', the largest combat aircraft in the world, and the Tu-22M3 'Backfire', the supersonic strike workhorse of the fleet. The Russians, however, had not counted on Ukraine's Mossad-like ingenuity nor their desperation to strike at the long-range bombers that had inflicted so much destruction and bloodshed on its cities and people. For the most part, Operation Spiderweb, as it has been designated, did not rely on long-range drones or missiles, but instead on small, hand-held first-person view drones of the kind that has proved so effective on the battlefield. Russian military bloggers were quick to liken it to the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbour in 1941 An exaggeration, clearly — yet in terms of chutzpah, in terms of scope and quite possibly in terms of damage, Ukraine's near-simultaneous attacks on four airfields deep inside Russia marks an unprecedented moment in the war. If Ukrainian officials are to be believed, as many as 40 of Russia's most sophisticated, expensive and destructive strategic bombers were eliminated in little more than a couple of hours. Such claims await the confirmation of an independent battle damage assessment, yet whatever the real number is there can be little doubt what a humiliating blow Ukraine has inflicted on Russia – or what a powerful message Kyiv has sent its allies in the West. For night after night before the surprise assault, Ukraine's cities had reeled under some of the most intense Russian bombardment of the war. Dozens had died, children among them, yet there was no sign of the Kremlin relenting. As his envoys prepared to present his peace terms at a second round of negotiations in Istanbul, Vladimir Putin seemed determined to project Russia's total military dominance. So confident does he remain that his forces will prevail on the battlefield that the Russian president contemptuously ignored requests to share his proposals with Kyiv in advance. Yet hours before the talks were due to begin, Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian leader, had a pointed message of his own to deliver. He had been involved in Operation Spiderweb from its conceptualisation 18 months ago. There had been coordinated attacks on Russian airfields before. On the night of August 13 last year, Ukraine unleashed what was then its largest drone assault of the war on Russian territory, striking four airbases in Kursk, Voronezh and Nizhny Novgorod. Yet these bases were all within a few hundred miles of the Ukrainian border. Operation Spiderweb was conceived on a much, much grander scale. On the night before it was initiated, Ukraine had suffered perhaps its most intense airstrikes of a bloody week, with officials in Kyiv saying that 472 drones and seven ballistic and cruise missiles had struck targets across the country, including the capital. By Sunday morning, Ukraine appeared to have exacted a measure of revenge after two transport bridges were blown up in the neighbouring regions of Bryans and Kursk just as trains were passing. Seven people were killed, Russians officials said, blaming Ukraine. Yet these attacks were but a prelude. Among the planes destroyed, Ukrainian intelligence officials said, were not just Tu-95 and TU-22M3 bombers but also an A-50 'Mainstay', one of just a handful of Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft Russia has left in its arsenal. The A-50, worth an estimated £230 million, is a flying radar and command post that is vital for coordinating fighter jets and air defences as well as for situational awareness. They are thought to be irreplaceable. According to Ukrainian intelligence officials, all those knowingly involved in the operation have returned safely home, their mission accomplished in the most astonishing way. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
How Ukraine smuggled drones into Russia to destroy prized nuclear bombers
It hardly seemed credible. Drone after drone, emerging from the top of a shipping container parked by the side of an unremarkable road somewhere deep inside Russia. Each tiny device buzzed as it rose laden with explosives on its kamikaze mission to destroy some of the Russian military's most prized assets. As they flew overhead, filming their progress, their targets came into view: rows of strategic bombers, some capable of carrying nuclear weapons. The attack comes at a critical juncture in the war, with Donald Trump's peace plan hanging by a thread. But the extraordinary story of how the drones were deployed to launch their attack started many months earlier. Over a period of weeks, they were smuggled into Russia under the supervision of Ukraine's domestic intelligence agency, the SBU, which presumably had to alter its targeting plans after Russia relocated the bulk of its strategic bomber fleet. The drones were then concealed inside special containers placed inside commercial cargo lorries whose roof panels had been modified to retract at the touch of a remote control button. By all accounts, the drivers had no idea about the nature of the dangerous cargo they carried. Local residents near the Olenya base in Russia's far north described watching a driver running around in panic as FPV drones repeatedly launched from the back of his lorry. He later told police that he had been instructed to park his vehicle in a lay-by near the town of Olenegorsk where somebody would meet him. Footage from elsewhere in Russia showed drones rising from the back of another lorry as passers-by stood by helplessly. It was not the first time that lorries had been used by the Ukrainians in the war. A truck carrying explosives was remotely detonated to help bring down part of the Kerch Bridge connecting Crimea to the Russian mainland in 2020. But this was rather more sophisticated, with reports that the drones had been trained using artificial intelligence to hit the weakest points of the bombers parked along the aprons of the airbases. Fearing Ukraine's growing strike capacity, Russia had only weeks earlier moved many of its strategic bombers to bases like Olenya and Belaya, 1,000km and 2,500km from the front line, where it was assumed they would be well beyond the enemy's reach. Other bases in Ryazan and Ivanovo were also targeted, both of which are within 600 miles of the Ukrainian border. For the Russian air force, the planes targeted were prize assets: the iconic Tupolev Tu-95 'Bear', a long-range strategic bomber capable of carrying both nuclear and conventional warheads; the Tu-160 'Blackjack', the largest combat aircraft in the world, and the Tu-22M3 'Backfire', the supersonic strike workhorse of the fleet. The Russians, however, had not counted on Ukraine's Mossad-like ingenuity nor their desperation to strike at the long-range bombers that had inflicted so much destruction and bloodshed on its cities and people. For the most part, Operation Web, as it has been designated, did not rely on long-range drones or missiles, but instead on small, hand-held first-person view drones of the kind that has proved so effective on the battlefield. Russian military bloggers were quick to liken it to the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbour in 1941 An exaggeration, clearly — yet in terms of chutzpah, in terms of scope and quite possibly in terms of damage, Ukraine's near-simultaneous attacks on four airfields deep inside Russia marks an unprecedented moment in the war. If Ukrainian officials are to be believed, as many as 40 of Russia's most sophisticated, expensive and destructive strategic bombers were eliminated in little more than a couple of hours. Such claims await the confirmation of an independent battle damage assessment, yet whatever the real number is there can be little doubt what a humiliating blow Ukraine has inflicted on Russia – or what a powerful message Kyiv has sent its allies in the West. For night after night before the surprise assault, Ukraine's cities had reeled under some of the most intense Russian bombardment of the war. Dozens had died, children among them, yet there was no sign of the Kremlin relenting. As his envoys prepared to present his peace terms at a second round of negotiations in Istanbul, Vladimir Putin seemed determined to project Russia's total military dominance. So confident does he remain that his forces will prevail on the battlefield that the Russian president contemptuously ignored requests to share his proposals with Kyiv in advance. Yet hours before the talks were due to begin, Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian leader, had a pointed message of his own to deliver. He had been involved in Operation Web from its conceptualisation 18 months ago. There had been coordinated attacks on Russian airfields before. On the night of August 13 last year, Ukraine unleashed what was then its largest drone assault of the war on Russian territory, striking four airbases in Kursk, Voronezh and Nizhny Novgorod. Yet these bases were all within a few hundred miles of the Ukrainian border. Operation Web was conceived on a much, much grander scale. On the night before it was initiated, Ukraine had suffered perhaps its most intense airstrikes of a bloody week, with officials in Kyiv saying that 472 drones and seven ballistic and cruise missiles had struck targets across the country, including the capital. By Sunday morning, Ukraine appeared to have exacted a measure of revenge after two transport bridges were blown up in the neighbouring regions of Bryans and Kursk just as trains were passing. Seven people were killed, Russians officials said, blaming Ukraine. Yet these attacks were but a prelude. Among the planes destroyed, Ukrainian intelligence officials said, were not just Tu-95 and TU-22M3 bombers but also an A-50 'Mainstay', one of just a handful of Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft Russia has left in its arsenal. The A-50, worth an estimated £230 million, is a flying radar and command post that is vital for coordinating fighter jets and air defences as well as for situational awareness. They are thought to be irreplaceable. According to Ukrainian intelligence officials, all those knowingly involved in the operation have returned safely home, their mission accomplished in the most astonishing way.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russian Strategic Bombers Destroyed In Unprecedented Wide-Scale Drone Attack
Ukraine carried out a massive drone strike at airbases across Russia on Sunday, claiming to have destroyed dozens of aircraft. There are also indications that Russia's Northern Fleet headquarters, home of Russian nuclear submarines, was attacked as well. Overall, the attack was clearly aimed at Russia's most prized strategic aerial assets, which cannot be replaced quickly in any manner and doing so at all would be extremely expensive. 'The Security Service of Ukraine is conducting a large-scale special operation to destroy bomber aircraft in the rear of the Russian Federation,' the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff stated on Telegram. 'SBU drones have hit more than 40 aircraft, including A-50, Tu-95 and Tu-22 M3, causing damage of over $2 billion.' The operation, codenamed 'Web,' targeted four key Russian airbases: Belaya, Diaghilevo, Olenya and Ivanovo, the Kyiv Post reported. There was no immediate response from Russian officials. While The War Zone cannot independently verify these claims, video has emerged showing Russian bombers being struck by drones. We have geolocated the video to show that the attack was on the Olenya base. It was widely reported as the Belaya Air Base in Irkutsk. The russian terrorist state no longer has the ability to produce Tu-95s or any kind of strategic bomber. This is a tremendous victory for Ukraine. — Michael MacKay (@mhmck) June 1, 2025 Locals filmed dozens of small FPV-like drones which reportedly struck multiple aircraft and other targets at the base. In short, a truck drove up to a gas station in the town next to the base and launched at least 20 drones.#BudanovApproves#OSINT — OSINT Intuit (@UKikaski) June 1, 2025 Videos show that the attacks apparently came from first-person view (FPV) drones launched from trucks parked nearby. Lol… Russian men climbed onto drone truck, trying to stop the drones from taking off…. — MAKS 25 (@Maks_NAFO_FELLA) June 1, 2025 Video showing drone launched from truck. — Def Mon (@DefMon3) June 1, 2025 The Russian air base in Olenegorsk, Murmansk, was also attacked. Explosions and flames were observed at Russia's Northern Fleet headquarters in Murmansk. It is home to some of Russia's most capable submarines, like the Yasen-M class nuclear-powered cruise missile carrying Kazan. A powerful explosion was heard in the Russian North Sea – where nuclear-powered submarines are serviced, Russian media city is a strategically important port and one of the main centers of the Russian Northern telephone communications are being… — BLYSKAVKA (@blyskavka_ua) June 1, 2025 Russian officials denied that the Northern Fleet headquarters was attacked. 'The information about explosions in Severomorsk, which is being spread on social networks, does not correspond to reality,' the head of the city said, according to the Russian Operation Z Telegram channel. 'The situation is currently stable. No threats have been recorded. Do not panic and trust only verified sources of information!' As all of this was taking place, the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff said Russia conducted one of its biggest attacks of the war, launching 472 drones and seven ballistic and cruise missiles across the country. Ukraine says it 'neutralised' 385 aerial targets. As we noted in the opening of this story, the fact that Ukraine went after some of Russia's most prized aerial capabilities, many of which are directly tied to its nuclear deterrent, greatly ups the ante. We don't know how many strategic aircraft Russia lost today, but it could be a large portion of its long-range cruise missile carrier aircraft. While these aircraft have rained destruction on Ukraine from a far and are legitimate targets, they also underpin a leg of Russia's nuclear deterrent. This will undoubtedly provoke a unique response from the Kremlin who has warned that widespread attacks against its strategic capabilities would be a red line. are dual use conventional/nuclear platforms. And they have rained destruction on Ukraine from afar as cruise missile carriers. But this is not about them being legitimate targets (clearly they are) it's about this attack bleeding into potentially a major degradation in the most… — Tyler Rogoway (@Aviation_Intel) June 1, 2025 The threat of wide-scale, low-end, localized drone attacks against prized aircraft sitting at airfields — including in the U.S. homeland — has been a brewing threat, as TWZ highlighted repeatedly for many years. Including the exact scenario that occurred in Ukraine in the last 24 hours. Drone technology has proliferated dramatically since, and the threshold requirements for executing such an attack have dropped considerably. At the same time, defenses against these types of threats still lag behind, both in wartime Russia and most everywhere else. This is also a glaring case of how the lack of any kind of hardened shelters leaves aircraft totally exposed to attack. This is another reality TWZ has highlighted for years, but still has not changed the U.S. investment strategy in this kind of infrastructure, even at forward locales in the Pacific. Meanwhile, drone incursions of U.S. bases at home and abroad — another issue TWZ reported on exclusively for years — have shown just how vulnerable even the Department of Defense's most prized and critical aerial assets are. There is also artificial intelligence-enabled low-end drones now becoming a reality. This would allow these aircraft to fly much farther without any radio control and hit targets they recognize autonomously. You can read all about that major development and its massive implications, which have been spurred by the war in Ukraine, here. It is unclear what control method the drones used to strike aircraft at these bases were. First Person View (FPV) types with a human in the loop nearby are possible, as are ones programmed to hit precise GPS coordinates. Both have major advantages and glaring vulnerabilities. AI-enabled ones that use image matching is possible too, which would allow the strikes to occur without emitting radio-frequency emissions and without the chance of the drones being jammed. The drones would also not require individual controllers and, like those programmed to hit GPS coordinates, they could be launched and strike in rapid succession. Russia has been covering their aircraft with tires in hopes of confusing image-matching autonomous drones in just this kind of attack, which the TWZ was first to report on. This is a developing story, and we will update it with pertinent new information. Update: 11:50 AM Eastern – The Russian Defense Ministry (MoD) commented on the attacks. 'Today, the Kyiv regime carried out a terrorist attack using FPV drones against airfields in the Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan and Amur regions,' the MoD stated on Telegram. 'At military airfields in the Ivanovo, Ryazan and Amur regions, all terrorist attacks were repelled. In the Murmansk and Irkutsk regions, as a result of the launch of FPV drones from the territory located in the immediate vicinity of airfields, several units of aircraft caught fire.' The fires 'have been extinguished,' the MoD added. 'There are no casualties among military personnel or civilians. Some of the participants in the terrorist attacks have been detained.' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky 'personally supervised the operation, and Vasyl Malyuk and the SBU team implemented the plan. 41 Russian strategic aviation aircraft were hit,' Ukrainian journalist Sergey Bratchuk wrote Telegram. 'According to sources, this operation was extremely difficult from a logistical point of view. The SBU first transported FPV drones to Russia, and later – mobile wooden houses. Later, in the territory of the Russian Federation, the drones were hidden under the roofs of houses already placed on trucks. At the right moment, the roofs of the houses were remotely opened, and the drones flew to strike Russian bombers.' Sources in the SBU 'emphasize that the people who participated in this historic special operation have been in Ukraine for a long time,' Bratchuk added. 'So, if the Putin regime demonstratively detains someone, it will be another staged operation.' Irkutsk Oblast Governor Igor Kobzev confirmed that drones were launched from a truck 'At the moment, it is known that this was a drone attack on a military unit in the village of Sredniy,' he stated on Telegram. 'The source from which the drones were launched has already been blocked. It's a truck. The main thing is not to panic. There is no threat to the lives and health of civilians.' Meanwhile new video emerged of the attack on Olenya. Almost 5000km from Ukraine, a Ukrainian drone operator takes his time in choosing the perfect point of impact to destroy this Tu-95 strategic bomber that regularly rains missiles on the cities of Ukraine. — Kyiv Insider (@KyivInsider) June 1, 2025 The large-scale attack comes ahead of a scheduled meeting in Istanbul that is part of ongoing peace talks. 'We are doing everything to protect our independence, our state, and our people,' Zelensky said on X. 'I outlined the tasks for the near term and also defined our positions ahead of the meeting in Istanbul on Monday. First – a full and unconditional ceasefire. Second – the release of prisoners. Third – the return of abducted children. And in order to establish a reliable and lasting peace and ensure security, preparation of the meeting at the highest level. The key issues can only be resolved by the leaders. On Monday, our delegation will be led by Rustem Umerov.' I heard reports from the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the General Staff, our intelligence agencies, and the Security Service of Ukraine. Our defense, our active actions, and our are doing everything to protect our independence,… — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 1, 2025 Contact the author: howard@
The Sun
3 days ago
- General
- The Sun
Ukraine ‘strikes Russian airfields destroying nuke bombers' in huge drone blitz as footage shows aircraft up in flames
TWO major Russian airbases holding nuclear warplanes have reportedly been blitzed in a targeted drone strike - landing a huge blow to Putin's war. A Ukrainian Security official told Reuters that the SBU conducted a large drone attack on over 40 Russian military aircraft. 3 3 3 The source did not specify where the drone attack took place, but Ukrainian media said that Olenya airbase - home to Russia's Tu-95 strategic bombers - had been targeted. The second base under fire is understood to be the Belaya nuclear airbase in eastern Siberia's Irkutsk region - some 2,900 miles from Ukraine. Extraordinary footage showed smoked billowing from mad Vlad's bases as Russian troops watched on in horror. Ukraine's Pravda Gerashchenko Telegram channel said: 'A special operation "Web" is being conducted to demilitarise Russia. 'The [SBU] report the destruction of Russian bomber aircraft behind enemy lines." They added: 'In particular, the destruction of more than 40 aircraft, including A-50, Tu-95 and Tu-22M3.' Local residents reported hearing explosions as swathes of Ukrainian UAVs struck Putin's bases. Both airfields are miles from the bloody frontline, but were still "under drone attack" by Ukrainian forces. The attack is believed to have been launched from within Russia, possibly from inside trucks driving nearby their targets. It marks one of the bleakest days of the war for Russian President Vladimir Putin who is continuing to relentlessly blitz Ukraine. Ukraine's SBU secret service was reportedly conducting a large-scale special operation to destroy Russian bombers. Local media in Ukraine claimed more than 40 of bloodthirsty Putin's aircraft had been hit. This included the infamous Tu-95, as well as the Tu-22M3, and A-50 strategic bombers. A report said the driver of the truck that released the drones "may not have known" that his vehicle was full of the Ukrainian UAVs. According to Baza media, the driver has since been detained. Local media said: "A truck stopped at a gas station at the entrance to the city. "Drones started flying out of the back of the truck and then attacked various objects." .
Telegraph
3 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Ukraine destroys Russian nuclear bombers in airbase attacks
Ukraine destroyed Russian strategic bombers in a mass drone attack on airfields across Russia, sources have claimed. The operation, carried out by Ukraine's security service, appears to have targeted at least two airfields thousands of miles from the frontline. 'Enemy strategic bombers are burning en masse in Russia — this is the result of a special operation by the SBU,' an SBU source told the Kyiv Independent. Footage from Olenya air base, in the Arctic, shows rows of Russian strategic and nuclear bombers burning. Russia moved its bombers there in order to get them out of range of Ukraine's drones. The attack raises questions about the range at which Ukraine can carry out sophisticated attacks, with some reports suggesting drones were launched from trucks inside Russia. It comes after a wave of bombings targeting Russian railway lines overnight, which derailed trains and killed at least seven people.
