Latest news with #SecurityServicesofUkraine
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Under pressure on the battlefield, Ukraine turns to drones to hurt Russia
Ukraine carried out its largest drone attack inside Russia on Sunday, targeting at least four military airports in four different regions (across four time zones) in the world's largest country. Unnamed officials of the Security Services of Ukraine (SBU), the country's spy agency, have claimed that the attacks 'destroyed' more than 40 Russian warplanes, including strategic bombers that can carry nuclear missiles, causing damages amounting to $7 billion. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed in a social media post that the attack, which followed a Russian strike at a military training base in Ukraine, killing at least 12 soldiers, produced 'an absolutely brilliant result'. While the Ukrainian claims of destroying Russian strategic bombers are not independently confirmed, Russia's Ministry of Defence stated that five regions came under drone attacks and that several aircraft in two bases, one close to the border with Norway and the other in Siberia, 'caught fire'. It said the fire was extinguished, other attacks were repelled and that there were no casualties. Russia also saw two bridges collapse in Kursk and Bryansk regions, both close to the Ukrainian border, killing at least seven people and wounding 76 others. Russian officials say explosives were used to destroy the bridges. All this happened when Russian and Ukrainian officials were preparing to sit together for direct peace talks in Istanbul on Monday. Airfields hit According to Ukrainian claims, the four regions that were attacked are: Ryazan, Ivanov, Murmansk, and Irkutsk. The Olenya air base in Murmansk, close to the Norwegian border, is around 1,900 km from the frontline. Belaya airbase in the Siberian region of Irkutsk is 4,300 km away from Ukraine. Russian officials said Amur, close to the Chinese border, also came under attack, which was repelled. The attacks on these bases demonstrate Ukraine's growing capability to hit deep inside Russia using cheap drones and innovate tactics, most likely involving undercover operatives. Per the Ukrainian version, the attack was in the plans for about one and a half years. SBU officials say Ukraine had secretly transported 'first-person view' drones (FPVs transmit a live video feed from their front camera to a pilot's screen) into Russian territory on trucks. Drones were kept in wooden containers on trucks, which were moved closer to the targets undetected. On Sunday, the wooden containers were opened remotely, and the FPV drones, attached with explosives, were launched into the airfields. The Russian Defence Ministry has confirmed that the drones that hit Olenya and Belaya were launched 'from the immediate vicinity' of the airfields. Mr. Zelenskyy wrote in his social media post that 'our people involved in preparing the Operation were withdrawn from Russian territory in time'. New rules This seeks to rewrite the rules of warfare. Traditionally, countries try to attack faraway enemy bases using surface-to-surface or air-to-surface long-range missiles. Ukraine lacks the capacity to mount such an aerial attack against Russia. So it turned to drones, which it was manufacturing at an industrial scale ever since the war broke out in February 2022. Ukraine claimed to have made 2.2 million drones in 2024, and aims to make 4.5 million this year. Drones play the central role in Ukraine's counterattack strategy. Among the planes that were 'destroyed' are Russian Tu-95, Tu-22M3 and A-50, according to the SBU. The Tu-95 bombers, which carry guided cruise missiles, can hit targets from thousands of kilometres afar. The A-50 are early warning jets that detect enemy aircraft and missiles, and feed intel on Russian fighter planes. 'Russian strategic bombers are all burning delightfully,' claimed Vasily Malyuk, the SBU chief, after the attack. Russia's fleet of strategic bombers is reportedly small — it operates less than 90 Tu-22s, Tu-95s and Tu-160s. (Tu-160 is Russia's most advanced strategic bomber). If Ukraine's claims of destroying some '30%' of Russian bombers are true, it's a heavy blow to President Vladimir Putin and his forces. Even if Ukraine is exaggerating Russia's losses, the fact that it carried out such a massive attack deep inside Russian territory can be seen as a tactical setback for Moscow. If Ukraine were planning such an elaborate attack for months, there would be questions on why the Russian intelligence failed to detect and deter them. Russia's military bloggers were quick to term June 1 a 'dark day' in the history of Russian aviation. Some others, especially the nationalist sections, called it 'Russia's Pearl Harbour' and demanded a similar response from the Kremlin to that of the U.S. during the Second World War. Mr. Putin, who has faced criticism at home from the nationalist sections for 'not doing enough' in the war, is likely to come under greater pressure to retaliate heavily. Battlefield vulnerabilities But the Ukrainian attack doesn't mask the country's battlefield vulnerabilities. Russia has launched a Spring offensive in the Sumy region, where its forces are making incremental advances. The Russian army took 507 sq km in May, against 379 sq. km in April and 240 square km in March, according to data from the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War. From June 2024 to May 2025, Russia gained a total of 5,107 sq. km (less than one per cent of Ukrainian territory before the war), while Ukrainian forces only regained 85 sq. km. Ukraine has not taken any major territorial gains since its Kherson offensive in late 2022. It's a gamble in Russia's Kursk region failed as Russia captured swathes of territories in Ukraine's east last year and then pushed Ukrainian troops out of Kursk with help from North Korea. In recent months, Russia has stepped up air strikes and drone attacks across Ukraine, straining the country's already weak air defences. But despite the weaknesses on the ground, Kyiv remains defiant and audacious as the latest attack shows. What is to be seen is how the Ukrainian attacks are going to impact U.S. President Donald Trump's push to end the war. When Russia carried out drone attacks in Ukraine late last month, Mr. Trump had said 'Putin had gone absolutely crazy' and that 'Putin is playing with fire'. But on his watch, Ukraine, America's ally, has carried out its most ambitious attack on Russia, that too on the eve of peace talks. The Istanbul talks are set to proceed as per plans. Both the Russian and Ukrainian delegations are in Turkiye. But the Russian response to the Ukrainian attack is almost guaranteed, which could further complicate the diplomatic process.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
The view from India newsletter: How Ukraine hit airfields deep inside Russia
Ukraine carried out its largest drone attack inside Russia on Sunday, targeting at least four military airports in four different regions (across four time zones) in the world's largest country. Unnamed officials of the Security Services of Ukraine (SBU), the country's spy agency, have claimed that the attacks 'destroyed' more than 40 Russian warplanes, including strategic bombers that can carry nuclear missiles, causing damages amounting to $7 billion. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed in a social media post the attack, which followed a Russian strike at a military training base in Ukraine, killing at least 12 soldiers, produced 'an absolutely brilliant result'. While the Ukrainian claims of destroying Russian strategic bombers are not independently confirmed, Russia's Ministry of Defence stated that five regions came under drone attacks and that several aircraft in two bases, one close to the border with Norway and the other in Siberia, caught fire. It said the fire was extinguished, other attacks were repelled and that there were no casualties. Russia also saw two bridges collapse in Kursk and Bryansk regions, both close to the Ukraine border, killing at least seven people and wounding 76 others. Russian officials say explosives were used to destroy the bridges. All this happened when Russian and Ukrainian officials were preparing to sit together for direct peace talks in Istanbul on Monday. It is not clear how Ukraine pulled off such an audacious drone attack thousands of kilometres away from the frontline. According to Ukrainian claims, the four regions that were attacked are: Ryazan, Ivanov, Murmansk and Irkutsk. The Olenya air base in Murmansk, close to the Norwegian border, is around 1,900 km from the frontline. Belaya airbase in the Siberian region of Irkutsk is 4,300 km away from Ukraine. Russian officials said Amur, close to the Chinese border, also came under attack, which was repelled. The attacks on these bases demonstrate Ukraine's growing capability to hit anywhere in Russia as well as its sprawling undercover operations in Russian soil. Per the Ukrainian version, the attack was in the plans for about one and a half years. SBU officials say Ukraine had secretly transported 'first person view' drones (FPVs transmit a live video feed from its front camera to a pilot's screen) into Russian territory on trucks. Drones were kept in wooden containers on trucks which were moved closer to the targets undetected. On Sunday, the wooden containers were opened remotely and the FPV drones, attached with explosives, were launched to the airfields. The Russian Defence Ministry has confirmed that the drones that hit Olenya and Belaya were launched 'from the immediate vicinity' of the airfields. Mr. Zelenskyy wrote in his social media post that 'our people involved in preparing the Operation were withdrawn from Russian territory in time'. Among the planes that were 'destroyed' are Russian Tu-95, Tu-22M3 and A-50 aircraft, according to the SBU. The Tu-95 bombers, which carry guided cruise missiles, can hit targets from thousands of kilometres afar (Tu-160 is Russia's most advanced strategic bomber). The A-50a are early warning jets that detect enemy aircraft and fire and feed intel on Russian fighter planes. 'Russian strategic bombers are all burning delightfully,' claimed Vasily Malyuk, the SBU chief, after the attack. According to The Economist, Russia's fleet of strategic bombers is relatively small — it operates less than 90 Tu-22s, Tu-95s and Tu-160s. If Ukraine's claims of destroying Russian bombers are true, it's a heavy blow to President Vladimir Putin and his forces. Even if Ukraine is exaggerating Russia's losses, the fact that it carried out such a massive attack deep inside Russian territory can be seen as a tactical gain, at a time when Moscow's forces have launched a new summer offensive and are making incremental territorial advances in the Sumy region. If Ukraine were planning such an elaborate attack for months, there would be questions on why the Russian intelligence failed to detect and deter them. Russia's military bloggers were quick to term June 1 a 'dark day' in the history of Russian aviation. Some others, especially the nationalist sections, called it 'Russia's Pearl Harbour' and demanded a similar response from the Kremlin to that of the U.S. during the Second World War. Mr. Putin, who has faced criticism at home from the nationalist sections for 'not doing enough' in the war, might come under greater pressure to retaliate heavily. The attack is also a heavy blow to U.S. President Donald Trump's public push to end the Ukraine war. When Russia carried out drone attacks in Ukraine late last month, Mr. Trump had said 'Putin had gone absolutely crazy' and that 'Putin is playing with fire'. Now, with the Ukrainian attack, the war has been pushed to a new level. And Mr. Trump's room for peace manoeuvre is shrinking fast. The Top Five 1. Israel is used to condemnation, international community must impose sanctions to end war' In this interview, Israeli author and columnist Gideon Levy tells Suhasini Haidar that India, with good relations with both sides, can influence outcome, warns IMEEC may be permanent casualty of war. 2. Will there be a lasting ceasefire in Gaza? | Explained What has the U.S. mediated through special envoy Steve Witkoff to ease the situation? What are the terms of the proposed ceasefire? Why did the last ceasefire fail? What happened after its collapse? What have international agencies warned regarding starvation in Gaza? writes Stanly Johny. 3. Alan Garber | The man who stood up to Trump The Harvard president, who pushed back against the Trump administration's meddling with the university's affairs, is trying to do a delicate balancing act — shielding the institution from political assault while undertaking reforms that may ensure its survival, writes Aaratrika Bhaumik. 4. Foreign students face uncertainty as Trump steps up attack on universities In April, the federal government froze more than $2 billion in grants and contracts with Harvard, citing non-compliance with requests to modify hiring and admissions policies, dismantle diversity-equity-inclusion programmes, and conduct ideological vetting of international students, writes Anisha Dutta. 5. Pakistan's India war Pakistan, dominated by a military mindset, is contriving to find ways and means of undermining India's progress, writes M.K. Narayanan.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine says it has uncovered Hungarian spy network working in border region
Ukraine said Friday it had exposed a network of Hungarian spies trying to obtain defense secrets in a border region of Ukraine – the first time it said such an operation has been discovered. The Security Services of Ukraine (SBU) said it had detained two Hungarian special services agents, whom it claims were reporting to a handler in Hungarian military intelligence and were looking for ground and air defense vulnerabilities in the southwestern Zakarpattia region, which borders Hungary. 'Comprehensive measures are currently underway to bring all members of the Hungarian intelligence network to justice,' said the statement. Hungary responded to the arrests by expelling two of the staff at the Ukrainian embassy in Budapest. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on his Facebook page that two spies who had been working 'under diplomatic cover' at the embassy were being ordered to leave. Ukraine and Hungary are at odds over the conflict between Ukraine and Russia and Ukrainian accession to the European Union. Hungary has also criticized European sanctions against Moscow. The Hungarian government has also frequently complained that the ethnic Hungarian minority in Zakarpattia is discriminated against. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto responded to the arrests by posting on X: 'The past three years have shown that the war in Ukraine is being fought not only on the battlefield, but also in the information space. Anti-Hungarian propaganda is often used without any factual basis.' Szijjarto told reporters: 'If we receive any details or official information, then we will be able to deal with this. Until then, I must classify this as propaganda that must be handled with caution.' Ukraine's SBU said the Hungarian spies were tasked with gathering information about the military security and studying the views of residents and 'behavior scenarios' if Hungarian troops entered Zakarpattia. The SBU alleged that one man from Berehove in Zakarpattia was recruited in 2021 and 'activated' last September. It accused him of collecting information on the location of Ukrainian defense systems, including its S-300 anti-aircraft missile system in the region. It also alleged he had attempted to recruit two other men as he tried to establish a 'network of informants.' The second person detained, a woman who left her unit in Ukraine's Security and Defense Forces this year, had been tasked with informing the Hungarian special services about the defense systems of her unit and informing on the presence of aircraft and helicopters in the Zakarpattia region, the SBU claimed. The Zakarpattia region stayed part of Ukraine after the breakup of the Soviet Union. The region was once part of the former Kingdom of Hungary and later Czechoslovakia. According to a census in 2001, just over 150,000 ethnic Hungarians lived in the region, but the number is widely thought to have declined since then. Last year, representatives of the Hungarian-speaking community criticized a draft Ukrainian law that would have restricted the use of Hungarian in schools by allowing it to be used only in classroom activities and not outside classroom settings. The two countries had disagreements over Hungary's 2011 decision to relax its naturalization procedures and allow anyone who can speak Hungarian and has Hungarian ancestry to gain citizenship – even if they have never stepped a foot in the country. Tens of thousands of Ukrainians were granted Hungarian passports since then, despite Ukraine not allowing dual citizenship. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has opposed Ukraine's accession to the EU in part because of claims that ethnic Hungarians in western Ukraine face discrimination. Orban has remained on good terms with Moscow throughout the conflict and has opposed the growing raft of EU sanctions against Russia as well as EU aid packages for Ukraine. On Wednesday, Orban said EU President Ursula von der Leyen 'wants to pour further billions into Ukraine, pull Europe further into a losing war, and rush a bankrupt state into the EU.' 'Hungary won't go along with this,' he said.
