Latest news with #Tu-22M3
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Ukraine's drone strike on Russia's air bases under 'investigation,' Kremlin says in first reaction to Operation Spiderweb
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been informed about Ukraine's recent drone attack against Russian air bases, and the "incident" is being investigated, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on June 3, according to the state-run news agency TASS. The operation, conducted by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) on June 1, reportedly hit 41 bomber planes and other aircraft, inflicting what Kyiv claims is $7 billion in damage and disabling over a third of Russia's strategic bomber fleet. Peskov's comments marked the first reaction by the Kremlin to the attack. Despite the operation's scale, Putin has not commented on it publicly. "The president received information about the incident online," Peskov said. "An investigation has been launched by the Investigative Committee. There was also a corresponding statement from the Defense Ministry." The Kremlin's muted response contrasts sharply with jubilant reactions in Ukraine, where officials described the coordinated drone strikes as a major success. The SBU said 117 drones, launched from concealed trucks positioned across Russian territory, simultaneously struck airfields in at least four regions — including sites thousands of kilometers from the Ukrainian border. The targeted air bases reportedly housed Tu-95 and Tu-22M3 bombers, key carriers of long-range cruise missiles used in Moscow's air strikes on Ukrainian cities. The operation reportedly took 18 months of planning and was timed just days after Russia launched a wave of mass aerial assaults on Ukraine, including the record-setting attack on June 2 that killed and injured civilians. While the Kremlin remains restrained, some Russian pro-war commentators and propagandists have responded with fury. Some downplayed the attack's scale, while others called for nuclear retaliation or strikes on NATO airfields in response to what they described as Western complicity. No NATO member state has confirmed involvement in Operation Spiderweb. Read also: 'Grounds for a nuclear attack' — Russian propagandists react to Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Boston Globe
19 hours ago
- General
- Boston Globe
As Russia reels from drone attack, Ukraine targets vital Crimea Bridge
Advertisement The Washington Post could not independently verify these claims, and it was not immediately clear how much damage had been caused to the bridge. It was closed soon after the morning explosion but reopened a few hours later. Local Telegram channels in Crimea reported a second explosion Tuesday afternoon, and the bridge was once again closed to traffic for several hours. As of yet, there has been no official confirmation of the attack from Moscow. This would be Ukraine's third attack against the bridge - a key supply route, but also a symbol of Russia's occupation - since the start of Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In 2023, a Ukrainian attack using unmanned sea drones killed two civilians and damaged part of the road, closing a section of the bridge for several months. Advertisement 'There is no place for illegal Russian structures on the territory of our state,' Lieutenant General Vasyl Maliuk, head of the Security Service, said in a statement. 'The Crimean Bridge is a completely legitimate target, especially considering that the enemy used it as a logistical artery to supply its troops. Crimea is Ukraine, and any form of occupation will be met with a firm response.' Tuesday's attack follows Ukraine's stunning operation targeting Russia's strategic bomber fleet on Sunday, which was also coordinated by Maliuk and overseen by President Volodymyr Zelensky himself. The attack, which was planned over the course of 18 months and involved smuggling dozens of drones armed with explosives deep into Russian territory as far as Siberia and the Far East, reportedly destroyed at least 12 aircraft. Ukraine said the damaged or destroyed aircraft, some of which were nuclear-capable, included A-50, Tu-95, Tu-22 M3 and Tu-160 models - planes Kyiv said Russia had used nearly every night to bomb Ukraine. Most of the details on how the drone attack was carried out remain secret, and it is also not known if the planes reportedly destroyed were in active service. President Vladimir Putin has yet to comment on the attacks, and Russian state media has remained noticeably silent in the wake of Sunday's events. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that the president was being kept abreast of developments and that an investigation was underway. Russia's pro-war military bloggers have been enraged by the attacks, which some dubbed Russia's Pearl Harbor, and said they had caused significant damage to Russia's military capabilities. Hawkish former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday promised revenge against Kyiv for the attacks. Advertisement 'Everything that is supposed to explode, will certainly explode,' wrote Medvedev, who now serves as the deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, in a post on Telegram. In the past week, Russia has also launched swarms of drones and missile strikes against Ukrainian cities. The latest exchange of attacks marks an intensification of the conflict, as both sides have been pushed to the negotiating table by President Trump and European allies, and as Moscow has refused any talk of a ceasefire. A Russian strike on the northeastern city of Sumy on Tuesday morning killed four people and injured 24, according to local authorities. Russia and Ukraine met for a brief second round of direct talks in Istanbul on Monday, agreeing to swap dead and captured soldiers, but there was no significant progress toward ending the grueling war or even agreeing to a cease-fire. Ukraine negotiators after the talks said they had requested a meeting of Putin, Zelensky, and Trump to move forward the process, but Peskov on Tuesday dismissed the idea and said any such high-level meeting was 'unlikely.' Moscow on Monday also published its terms of discussion for any peace deal, including Ukraine surrendering more territory to Russia, cutting down the size of its military and not engaging in any alliances or weapons deals with Western nations. Medvedev on Tuesday cast the direct peace talks as a way to ensure a swift Russian victory. 'The Istanbul talks are not for striking a compromise peace on someone else's delusional terms but for ensuring our swift victory and the complete destruction of the neo-Nazi regime,' he wrote.
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Satellite images reveal damage to Russian Belaya airbase after Ukrainian drone strikes
Radio Liberty journalists have released satellite imagery showing the consequences of Ukrainian drone strikes on Belaya airbase in Russia's Irkutsk Oblast on 1 June 2025. Source: Radio Liberty Details: Analysis of video and satellite imagery enabled Radio Liberty to independently confirm the destruction of at least 11 Russian aircraft during the Ukrainian Security Service's Pavutyna (Spider's Web) operation on 1 June: seven Tu-95 bombers (one possibly damaged), four Tu-22M3 bombers and one An-12 cargo aircraft, not classified as strategic warplane. At Belaya airbase, Radio Liberty verified the destruction of four Tu-22M3 and three Tu-95 bombers, with one additional Tu-95 likely damaged. Background: On 1 June, the Security Service of Ukraine carried out a special operation codenamed Pavutyna, during which strategic aviation aircraft were targeted at four Russian airfields. SSU chief Vasyl Maliuk stated that "in total, 34% of strategic cruise missile carriers at the main Russian airfields were destroyed". The SSU officially stated that 41 Russian strategic aircraft, including A-50s, Tu-95s, Tu-22M3s and Tu-160s, had been struck by first-person view drones. The estimated cost of the damaged warplanes is over US$7 billion. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Mint
a day ago
- Politics
- Mint
Kerch Bridge bombed after blows to Russian rail lines and airbases — What's behind Ukraine's strategy?
Ukraine on Tuesday (June 3) claimed responsibility for the underwater explosion that damaged the Kerch Bridge — the strategic lifeline connecting Russia to occupied Crimea. The move marks a significant escalation in Ukraine's broader campaign to disrupt Russia's military logistics deep within its own territory. Ukraine's latest attack on the Kerch Bridge follows a series of major blows to Russian airbases and railway links. Here's what's behind the strategy. The bridge bombing came just 48 hours after Ukraine launched a sweeping drone assault on four Russian airbases — stretching across the Arctic, Siberia, and the Far East — destroying over 40 military aircraft, including long-range bombers. Around the same time, two key railway bridges collapsed in Russia's Bryansk and Kursk regions, derailing trains and killing at least seven people. Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) described the bridge attack as a 'unique special operation' involving the detonation of 1,100 kilograms of explosives planted on the seabed near the bridge's foundation. The resulting blast damaged a critical support pillar, according to video evidence released by the agency. The operation temporarily halted traffic across the 19-kilometre (12-mile) bridge early Tuesday morning and again in the afternoon. Russian authorities acknowledged the closures but have not disclosed the extent of the damage. The SBU said no civilians were harmed in the operation. Built by Russia after annexing Crimea in 2014, the Kerch Bridge is the Kremlin's main logistical route into occupied southern Ukraine. It supports the movement of troops, ammunition, food, and fuel — particularly into the contested Zaporizhzhia region. Disabling or degrading the bridge not only delays military shipments but also delivers a symbolic blow to Moscow's claim of secure control over Crimea. On June 1, explosions caused two railway bridges in Russia's border regions to collapse, derailing both passenger and freight trains. Seven people were killed and over 100 injured. Russia's Investigative Committee labeled the incidents as 'acts of terrorism' and blamed Ukraine. While Kyiv has not claimed direct responsibility for the bridge collapses, Ukraine's military intelligence (GUR) confirmed that a Russian military freight train carrying food and fuel to Crimea had been targeted. Ukraine's June 1 drone operation was one of the most far-reaching of the war. Drones struck four military airbases across three time zones — an attack that reportedly took more than a year to plan. Ukrainian officials say over 40 warplanes were destroyed, including Tu-95 and Tu-22M3 bombers capable of launching conventional and nuclear weapons. The string of attacks — targeting airbases, railway lines, and the Crimean bridge — reflects a well-orchestrated plan with multiple objectives: Disrupt logistics: By striking Russia's main transport arteries, Ukraine aims to delay or deny crucial supplies to front-line forces. Erode morale: Attacking deep within Russia exposes the vulnerability of supposedly secure infrastructure. Regain momentum: The strikes could serve as a prelude to future Ukrainian counteroffensives. Pressure for peace: With negotiations stalled, Ukraine may be seeking to strengthen its bargaining position. Though peace talks in Istanbul yielded no breakthrough earlier this week, Ukraine's actions signal that it is not waiting idly. The strikes show a shift from defensive operations to a proactive strategy of deep disruption.
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Ukraine needs about 200 aircraft for effective defence – Ukraine's Air Force spokesperson
Ukraine needs about 200 aircraft of various types to repel the Russian aggression effectively. Source: Yurii Ihnat, Head of the Communications Department of the Ukrainian Air Force Command, in an interview with Ukrainska Pravda (translation is coming soon) Quote from Ihnat: "The aircraft themselves should be of different types. The F-16 is a multipurpose aircraft. It can operate in the sky and against air, ground and surface targets. There are specific and different tasks in aviation, as I have just mentioned. Estimates have been made of how many types of aircraft are needed. Well, about 200 for effective defence of the country." Details: Ihnat says that in the early 90s, there were about a thousand aircraft in Ukraine, but this was the total number of flying and non-flying aircraft. The Soviet Union was building up a grouping of nuclear forces and tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of Ukraine. The same Tu-160, Tu-95 and Tu-22M3 strategic bombers were in Poltava Oblast. There were also many frontline aircraft and bombers in Dubno and Starokostiantyniv. This was a huge aircraft grouping to be directed to the West in case of emergency, Ihnat explains. However, some warplanes rotted away in the 1990s and early 2000s, and some were sold to Africa and other countries. Therefore, the spokesman stressed that efficiency today is not measured by quantity but by modernisation and innovation. Background: Even before Ukraine received F-16 fighters, Colonel Ihnat noted that Ukraine needed up to 200 multipurpose aircraft to defend its skies. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
