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Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Satellite images show Russian bombers destroyed in Ukraine attack
New satellite images and drone footage show serious damage inflicted on aircraft at several Russian airbases during Ukraine's surprise drone strike on Sunday. The images of two Russian airbases in north-western and central Russia, taken on Wednesday morning, show 12 aircraft damaged or destroyed. Meanwhile, drone footage, released by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) on Wednesday, showed attacks on these two bases as well as two more targeted elsewhere. Ukraine claims that it targeted 41 strategic bombers in the operation, adding that "at least" 13 were destroyed. Security officials say the shock incursion took 18 months to plan and saw many drones smuggled into Russia. The SBU video is almost five minutes long and consists of edited footage taken by drones in the process of conducting attacks on Olenya, Ivanovo, Dyagilevo and Belaya airbases. In each shot the feed cuts out before any explosion, but in some instances we see other planes on fire in the background. At no point do we see any indication of defensive measures from Russian forces, even after the attack was clearly well underway. Many of the aircraft are covered in tyres - a Russian tactic said to be aimed at mitigating against drone strikes. Some of the aircraft are seen apparently loaded with cruise missiles and well fuelled - judging by the extent and spread of fires. This suggests they were prepared to conduct strikes. The clearest satellite imagery covers Olenya and Belaya and shows five damaged or destroyed planes at the former and seven at the latter. Olenya is a major Russian airbase in the north-west of the country. The SBU footage shows smoke pouring from three aircraft, identified as Tu-95 strategic bombers and an approach to a fourth. Video footage also shows a drone approaching a Tu-22M strategic bomber sitting on the runway in this very same position. Satellite imagery from Maxar clearly shows a destroyed aircraft sitting beside a row of Tu-22M type aircraft. Manufacturing of both the Tu-95 and Tu-22 ended at the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, which will make repair difficult and replacement near impossible. Elsewhere in the SBU video, an AN-12 Transporter can be seen being approached. The Maxar satellite image does not show the aftermath of this, but other imagery reviewed by BBC Verify from AviVector - a satellite image analyst on X - suggests that it too was destroyed. Imagery provided by Planet Labs from this morning shows the entirety of Belaya airbase in Irkutsk Oblast, nearly 3,000km from the Ukrainian border. It shows three damaged Tu-95s and four Tu-22s and in various parts of the base. The SBU footage shows many of the same aircraft being approached. In two instances we see the drone carefully position itself on the wing of a Tu-95 - next to one of its fuel tanks. The final shot of the footage shows smoke rising from numerous sites across the base. At Ivanovo airbase two A50-AWACS planes are seen being targeted. The aircraft serves as an early warning and control asset - or spy plane - and is identifiable by the sizeable radar system on its fuselage. Ukraine previously shot down two of these aircraft in January and February 2024. As yet we have not seen any imagery or footage that captures any damage to these aircraft at Ivanovo. While satellite imagery from the site does show wreckage, BBC Verify has confirmed that the damage was present at the site before Sunday's attack and is likely from another incident. The SBU footage from Dyagilevo in Ryazan region shows three Tu-22s being approached, but there is no clear indication of damage sustained in either the footage or available satellite imagery. Additional reporting by Shayan Sardarizadeh What do you want BBC Verify to investigate? How Ukraine carried out daring 'Spider Web' attack on Russian bombers Ukraine drones strike bombers during major attack in Russia Video appears to show Ukraine drone attack in Russia
The Irish Sun
6 hours ago
- General
- The Irish Sun
Putin warns Trump he ‘will have to respond' to Ukraine's daring drone attack in hour-long phone call with president
VLADIMIR Putin has warned Donald Trump he 'will have to respond' to Ukraine's daring drone strike on Russian airfields, the US president revealed. In a dramatic post on Truth Social, Trump said the Russian tyrant issued the warning during a 75-minute phone call where the pair discussed rising tensions in Ukraine, as well as Iran's nuclear ambitions. Advertisement 4 President Donald Trump spoke with Kremlin despot Vladimir Putin on the phone Credit: AP 4 Ukraine destroyed 41 Russian planes across four key airfields 4 Putin told the US president he 'will have to respond' to Ukraine's drone strike Credit: AP 'It was a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace,' Trump wrote. 'President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields.' The call, confirmed by the Kremlin, follows Operation Spiderweb — a daring Newly released footage from Ukraine shows drone after drone spiralling down onto Putin's nuclear bomber fleet, turning the aircraft into flaming wrecks. Advertisement In one dramatic clip, a drone hones in on a bomber while another lies burning nearby. In another, a row of bombers blazes along the runway. Ukraine's intelligence service, the SBU, deployed 117 kamikaze drones, each with its own pilot, targeting the Olenya, Belaya, Dyagilevo, and Ivanovo-Severny air bases — deep inside Russian territory. The swarm of drones was launched from shipping containers hidden in plain sight, with Russian lorry drivers unknowingly parking them next to military bases. As civilians watched in disbelief, the containers cracked open and unleashed the aerial assault. Advertisement Most read in The US Sun Ukraine said the cost to the Kremlin could reach $7 billion (£5.4bn), wiping out a major chunk of its long-range aviation fleet, including Tu-95MS and Tu-22M bombers and A-50 spy planes. More to follow... For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos . Like us on Facebook at 4 Planes were left burning on the runway Advertisement
Scottish Sun
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Clearest vid yet of daring Op Spiderweb shows 35 Ukrainian bomb drones blowing up plane after multimillion dollar plane
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) DRONE after drone can be seen hammering Russia's nuclear bomber fleet and turning it into flaming wrecks, new footage released by Ukraine shows. Operation Spiderweb can now astonishingly be seen in the clearest picture yet as 35 of the kamikaze craft spiral down onto the doomsday planes. 16 Plane after plane can be seen burning on the runway during the strike 16 The drones quickly descend down into the planes on the tarmac 16 Planes are left burning on the runway 16 Kyiv's daring raid destroyed 41 Russian planes - costing an estimated $7bn (£5.4bn) to Moscow's coffers and humiliating Vladimir Putin. New footage released as Ukraine doubles down on embarrassing Vlad shows the kill shots for dozens of the drones - with bombers left burning on the tarmac. Kamikaze drones line up their target and then spiral down onto the planes. Footage cuts out just as the drones blow themselves up. But other drones from the swarm already in the air capture the moments wings, cabins and fuselage are bombed. One clip shows a drone descending down onto a bomber, as an identical one can be seen burning in a heap behind it. Another, shows a row of planes burning in a line along the side of the runway. Several drones are able to fly so close to the planes without any Russian defences that they can land on them. Red and orange flames erupt into black smoke on the runways as the next craft in the swarm looks for its target. Ukraine's spy agency which conducted the attack - the SBU - employed 117 drones in the daring operation to target Tu-95MS and Tu-22M strategic bombers, and A-50 spy planes. Moment Ukraine's 'Spiderweb' trucks rumble into position before drone blitz The fresh drone strike footage comes after other footage emerged on Wednesday showing the trucks carrying the craft beginning the operation. Clueless lorry drivers then parked the containers next to Russian airbases - where they sat and waited in plain sight. Nondescript shipping containers parked in laybys and verges had attracted little attention - before their lids blew open and the drone swarms poured out. Russian civilians stood in awe as they saw the drones zoom out of the containers and head in the direction of the bases. 16 One-by-one the nuclear bombers are targeted 16 The crafts film as they line up their targets 16 Russia's air bases were left burning The targeted air bases were: Olenya in the Arctic Murmansk region, Belaya in the Irkutsk region of Siberia, Dyagilevo in Ryazan region, and Ivanovo-Severny in Ivanovo region. Footage caught one truck self destruct as Russian civilians climbed into it. Each of the 117 drones had its own dedicated pilot and Russia had little defences to protect its bases and stop them. The covert drone plot - 18 months in the planning - targeted four airfields deep inside Russia, and is reminiscent of the most daring raids of WW2 that turned the tide against the Nazis. Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky oversaw the operation and said: "It's 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." 16 Thick black smoke pours into the sky as the planes burn 16 Some of the bombers have car tires sitting on them for protection 16 Nothing stops the drones from getting right up close to the planes and exploding In Putin's first appearance since the attack, the tyrant did not mention the attack. Instead, in a meeting with officials, he branded Zelensky's government as 'terrorists' for killing civilians. Something the Kremlin dictator has done on an industrial scale in Ukraine's cities. Putin talked about attacks by Ukraine on Russia's rail network - which led to two train crashes and killing civilians. 16 Ukraine also hit transport aircraft 16 Russian air bases were left covered in smoke 16 Drones even had to dodge the explosions from burning craft Satellite pictures have also confirmed the destruction - with burnt wrecks of ash and metal left lying on the tarmac. Some debris has been hastily removed - perhaps in an attempt to conceal the scale of the destruction. Despite the humiliating blow, Putin has laid out ridiculous demands for peace in Ukraine. The deranged tyrant's negotiators said an end to the war would only be agreed if Kyiv surrenders huge chunks of territory and accepts limits on the size of its army. 16 Satellite images showed the planes burned out on the ground Credit: AP 16 A drone takes off from one of the containers they had been smuggled in 16 Vladimir Putin has been left humiliated in by the attack Credit: Reuters Despite being left red-faced by the mammoth assault, Putin's mouthpieces shamelessly gave his terms for a ceasefire during a second round of direct peace talks in Istanbul on Monday. Its first section contained Moscow's "basic parameters of a final settlement". The sham proposal demands Ukraine withdraw its troops from four eastern regions that Russia only partly occupies at the moment. It also ordered that the international community recognise Crimea as Russia's sovereign territory - after they annexed the peninsula in 2014.
The Irish Sun
7 hours ago
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
Clearest vid yet of daring Op Spiderweb shows 35 Ukrainian bomb drones blowing up plane after multimillion dollar plane
DRONE after drone can be seen hammering Russia's nuclear bomber fleet and turning it into flaming wrecks, new footage released by Ukraine shows. 16 Plane after plane can be seen burning on the runway during the strike 16 The drones quickly descend down into the planes on the tarmac 16 Planes are left burning on the runway 16 New footage released as Ukraine doubles down on embarrassing Vlad shows the kill shots for dozens of the drones - with bombers left burning on the tarmac. Kamikaze drones line up their target and then Footage cuts out just as the drones blow themselves up. Read more on Op Spiderweb But other drones from the swarm already in the air capture the moments wings, cabins and fuselage are bombed. One clip shows a drone descending down onto a bomber, as an identical one can be seen burning in a heap behind it. Another, shows a row of planes burning in a line along the side of the runway. Several drones are able to fly so close to the planes without any Russian defences that they can land on them. Most read in The US Sun Red and orange flames erupt into black smoke on the runways as the next craft in the swarm looks for its target. Ukraine's spy agency which conducted the attack - the SBU - employed 117 drones in the daring operation to target Tu-95MS and Tu-22M strategic bombers, and A-50 spy planes. Moment Ukraine's 'Spiderweb' trucks rumble into position before drone blitz The fresh drone strike footage comes after other footage emerged on Wednesday showing the trucks carrying the craft beginning the operation. Clueless lorry drivers then parked the containers next to Russian airbases - where they sat and waited in plain sight. Nondescript shipping containers parked in laybys and verges had attracted little attention - before their lids blew open and the drone swarms poured out. Russian civilians stood in awe as they saw the drones zoom out of the containers and head in the direction of the bases. 16 One-by-one the nuclear bombers are targeted 16 The crafts film as they line up their targets 16 Russia's air bases were left burning The targeted air bases were: Olenya in the Arctic Murmansk region, Belaya in the Irkutsk region of Siberia, Dyagilevo in Ryazan region, and Ivanovo-Severny in Ivanovo region. Footage caught one truck self destruct as Russian civilians climbed into it. Each of the 117 drones had its own dedicated pilot and Russia had little defences to protect its bases and stop them. - 18 months in the planning - targeted four airfields deep inside Russia , and is reminiscent of the most daring raids of WW2 that turned the tide against the Nazis . Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky oversaw the operation and said: "It's 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." 16 Thick black smoke pours into the sky as the planes burn 16 Some of the bombers have car tires sitting on them for protection 16 Nothing stops the drones from getting right up close to the planes and exploding In Putin's first appearance since the attack, the tyrant did not mention the attack. Instead, in a meeting with officials, he branded Zelensky's government as 'terrorists' for killing civilians. Something the Kremlin dictator has done on an industrial scale in Ukraine's cities. Putin talked about attacks by Ukraine on Russia's rail network - which led to two train crashes and killing civilians. 16 Ukraine also hit transport aircraft 16 Russian air bases were left covered in smoke 16 Drones even had to dodge the explosions from burning craft Some debris has been hastily removed - perhaps in an attempt to conceal the scale of the destruction. Despite the humiliating blow, Putin has laid out The deranged tyrant's negotiators said an end to the war would only be agreed if Kyiv surrenders huge chunks of territory and accepts limits on the size of its army. 16 Satellite images showed the planes burned out on the ground Credit: AP 16 A drone takes off from one of the containers they had been smuggled in 16 Vladimir Putin has been left humiliated in by the attack Credit: Reuters Despite being left red-faced by the mammoth assault, Putin's mouthpieces shamelessly gave his during a second round of direct peace talks in Istanbul on Monday. Its first section contained Moscow's "basic parameters of a final settlement". The sham proposal demands Ukraine withdraw its troops from four eastern regions that It also ordered that the international community recognise Crimea as Russia's sovereign territory - after they annexed the peninsula in 2014. Who is The Spider? By James Halpin, foreign news reporter It remains unclear who quarterbacked Ukraine's incredible drone strike operation for their spy agency - the SBU. But Vladimir Putin's goons have accused a Ukrainian ex-DJ of being the spy behind Operation Spiderweb. Desperate to save face, Russian war bloggers have named the man they think ran Ukraine's operation inside the the country as Artem Timofeev. Artem, 37, is a former Ukrainian DJ and is believed by the sleuths to have owned the lorries used to carry the containers to the strikes. One pro-Russian blogger said: 'Artem is now wanted in connection with a terrorist attack in Irkutsk region. 'Four lorries were registered in his name, and one of them was the source of the drones that launched [in an attack on a Putin airbase].' Artem's wife Ekaterina Timofeeva, 34, is also suspected to have aided him. According to pro-Kremlin Russian media, Ekaterina describes herself as a 'witch' and is the author of B-list erotic novels.
Business Insider
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Business Insider
The Russian aircraft Ukraine said it hit were missile carriers and other key planes that aren't easily replaced
Ukraine launched a daring attack on multiple Russian airfields on Sunday, claiming hits on 41 Russian aircraft, including certain strategic planes that aren't easily replaced. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said that its operatives positioned drones close to airfields in trucks before releasing them to target Russian aircraft in "Operation Spiderweb." Videos, including drone footage obtained by Business Insider, showed burning Russian bombers. The SBU said aircraft hit included the A-50 airborne early warning and control plane, Tupolev Tu-95, Tu-22, and Tu-160 bombers, An-12 transport aircraft, and the Il-78 refueling tanker., Key Russian aircraft Any A-50 loss means a loss of situational awareness for Russia's air force. These important air assets amplify the effectiveness of Russia's air force by detecting enemy aircraft, missiles, air defense systems, and ground targets. They also act as mobile command-and-control centers for directing attacks. Ukraine has shot down multiple A-50s during Russia's invasion, meaning Russia likely only has a handful left. These aircraft are estimated to cost around $300 million each. in its invasion. The Tu-22M is a Soviet-era bomber that its manufacturer, Tupolev, describes as a "long-range supersonic missile carrier bomber" designed to strike ground and sea targets using guided missiles and aerial bombs. The head of Ukraine's military intelligence service told BBC Ukraine last year that it carries the Kh-22 missiles, which have caused tremendous damage to Ukrainian cities like Odesa. Ukraine has previously claimed to have destroyed some Tu-22Ms, both in the air and at an airfield deep inside Russia. Ukraine estimates the planes cost around $100 million each. The Tu-95 is a Cold War-era long-range turboprop bomber that can carry eight long-range cruise missiles armed with either conventional or nuclear warheads. Russia has also used it for attacks on Ukraine. Russia also uses the Tu-160 — a heavy supersonic long-range strategic bomber first introduced during the Soviet era that is able to carry nuclear and conventional cruise missiles — in its attacks. Justin Bonk, an airpower expert at the Royal United Services Institute, told Business Insider that both the Tu-95 and the Tu-160 had been "heavily tasked" with firing Kh-101 missiles at Ukraine. The SBU said the damage inflicted by its attack could be $7 billion, a figure that has not been independently verified. The head of the agency, Lt. Gen. Vasyl Maliuk, said that the attack was meant to curb Russian attacks on Ukraine. "The adversary bombed our country almost every night from these aircraft, and today they have felt that retribution is inevitable," Maliuk said. The general said the security agency "is doing and will do everything possible to protect Ukraine." Hard to replace Dollar figures are tossed around for the planes Ukraine hit, but Russia can't replace some of these aircraft easily. Production of the Tu-95 and Tu-22M stopped after the USSR collapsed in 1991. Russia also no longer makes A-50s, though it said last year that production may restart. Tu-160s are still made, but slowly. Reports indicate only two have been made since 2022. Bronk said replacing the losses will be "very challenging" for Russia. "The Tu-95 has not been produced for more than 30 years and production/modernisation of the Tu-160 is at a very limited scale," he said in emailed comments to BI. Maliuk said that "34% of strategic cruise missile carriers at the main Russian airfields were hit." Imagery from the sites confirms some of the reported destruction. Satellite images from company Capella Space and seen by Reuters show what experts told the outlet appeared to be several destroyed and damaged Tu-95s and Tu-22s. A win for Ukraine Bronk said that the destruction that can be seen visually shows "this is a stunning success for Ukraine's special services." He pointed to confirmation of the destruction of around eight Tu-95 bombers, a Tu-22M3, and several other aircraft. The 41 aircraft figure given by Ukraine is being debated. Some analyses based on visual evidence that is available so far have pointed to a lower figure. Bronk said that if even half of Ukraine's claim of 41 aircraft were damaged or destroyed, "it will have a significant impact" on Russia's ability to "keep up its regular large scale cruise missile salvos against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure" while also keeping up its nuclear deterrence and signaling patrols against NATO and Japan. How the attack affects the battlefield, where Ukraine is facing a relentless push from Russia's larger military and dampening US support, remains to be seen. Dan Grazier, a security expert at the Stimson Center, told BI that he was skeptical that it was "really going to move the needle in one way or the other" on the battlefield. That said, the attack is still significant and rewrites the rules of warfare, experts say. The SBU said the attack hit four Russian airfields simultaneously across three time zones, explaining that the plan allowed it to hit the largest number of Russian aircraft at the same time. It said it brought drones in mobile containers into Russia, hiding the drones on trucks. The container roofs were opened remotely "at the right moment" and the drones struck their targets. The details of the operation have not been independently verified. It said the operation was planned for more than a year and a half. Tim Robinson, a military aviation specialist at the UK's Royal Aeronautical Society, told BI the attack will spook Western air forces. "If you're an Air Force chief and you are not lying awake at night thinking about how to protect you, you're going to lose the next war." And it's a statement of intent from Ukraine. Maliuk said "the enemy thought it could bomb Ukraine and kill Ukrainians endlessly and with impunity. This is not the case. We will respond to russian terror and destroy the enemy everywhere — at sea, in the air and on land."
