Latest news with #Tu95
Daily Mail
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
NATO scrambles warplanes after Putin's 537-missile assault on Ukraine
NATO warplanes were scrambled overnight in a dramatic show of force as Vladimir Putin launched a terrifying barrage of more than 500 missiles and drones across Ukraine . The alliance sprang into action amid fears the Russian blitz could spill into neighbouring countries, with Poland confirming its fighter jets had been launched and its air defences placed on full alert. The massive aerial assault, involving Tu-95 strategic bombers, MiG fighter jets, hypersonic Kinzhal 'Dagger' missiles, Iranian-designed Shahed drones and Iskander ballistic missiles, devastated swathes of Ukraine and triggered a desperate response from Kyiv 's air force. Ukrainian officials said 475 of the 537 Russian aerial threats were shot down. Poland's operational command confirmed that NATO fighter jets were launched in response to the sheer scale of the Russian onslaught. 'Due to the attack by the Russian Federation carrying out strikes on objects located in the territory of Ukraine, Polish and allied aviation has begun operating in our airspace,' said a statement. 'The Operational Commander of the [armed forces] has activated all available forces and resources at his disposal. 'The on-duty fighter pairs have been scrambled, and the ground-based air defence and radar reconnaissance systems have reached the highest state of readiness. 'The steps taken are aimed at ensuring security in the areas bordering the threatened areas.' One 'hero' pilot was confirmed to have been killed in the crossfire. Lt-Col Maksym Ustimenko, 32, was hailed a national hero after he single-handedly downed seven air targets before his aircraft was fatally struck. 'The pilot used the entire complex of on-board weapons, and shot down seven air targets,' said the Ukrainian air force. 'During the last exercise, his plane was damaged and began to lose altitude. 'Maksym Ustimenko did everything possible, took the plane away from a settlement, but did not have time to eject... 'He died like a hero.' The fallen pilot had been flying an American-made F-16. The full-scale aerial assault, targeting cities from east to west, was described as one of the most powerful waves of airstrikes since Russia launched its invasion in 2022. In Kremenchuk, apocalyptic scenes emerged after a former oil refinery was hit by a barrage of cruise missiles, hypersonic Kinzhal rockets, and suicide drones. Meanwhile, a major industrial facility in Zaporizhzhia was set ablaze by a direct missile strike. 'A production facility of one of the enterprises was damaged,' confirmed Ivan Fedorov, head of the regional military administration. Mykolaiv and parts of the Donetsk region also suffered hits as the Kremlin's forces continued to pound infrastructure sites across the country. In the western city of Lviv, perilously close to NATO's eastern flank, Mayor Andriy Sadovyi said Russian forces targeted critical infrastructure. But, no civilian homes or lives were lost. In total 477 Shahed drones, four Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, seven Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles, and 41 Kh-101/Iskander-K cruise missiles were launched in a single night.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US base defense in the era of large-scale drone attacks
Ukraine's Operation Spider's Web wasn't just a brazen attack on Russia; it was a wake-up call for the United States. On June 1st, the Security Service of Ukraine (or SBU) carried out their mission, targeting four Russian airbases housing strategic bombers like the Tu-95 and Tu-22. Using small quadcopter drones that were assembled inside Russia and placed in modified roof compartments of shipping containers, they managed to eliminate at least 13 Russian aircraft, including several nuclear-capable bombers, and damage many others. This amounts to about 34% of their strategic bomber fleet destroyed in an incredibly short amount of time, an insurmountable loss. Ukraine didn't use any advanced technology or weapons. The drones used were small and built with commercially available parts. They were piloted, at least initially, by Ardupilot, an open-source software used by drone hobbyists to navigate drones autonomously. Using Russia's own 4G cellular networks, drone pilots, safe in Ukraine, flew the quadcopters the last meters to their targets. According to Ukrainian officials, everybody involved in the operation was safely out of Russia by the time it took place. The success of the operation and its relative simplicity have brought to the forefront concerns over how the United States would defend itself against a similar attack. While U.S. bases overseas have weapons capable of defending, at least partially, from small drones, many in the homeland do not. In our latest video, we break down how Ukraine pulled off Spider's Web, what that means for the United States, and what military leaders are doing to prepare for similar attacks. A Marine Corps reply-all email apocalypse has an incredible real-life ending Army shuts down its sole active-duty information operations command Army plans to close more than 20 base museums in major reduction Former Green Beret nominated to top Pentagon position to oversee special ops The Navy's new recruiting commercial puts the 'dirt wars' in the past
Free Malaysia Today
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Ukraine says it shot down Russian Su-35 fighter jet
Russia uses the Tu-95 strategic bomber to fire long-range missiles at Ukraine. (AP pic) KYIV : Ukraine's air forces shot down a Russian Su-35 fighter jet this morning, the Ukrainian military said. 'This morning, on June 7, 2025, as a result of a successful air force operation in the Kursk direction, a Russian Su-35 fighter jet was shot down,' the military said on the Telegram messenger. It gave no more details. Russian forces have not yet commented on the matter while Reuters could not independently verify the report. Ukraine's security agency, the SBU, conducted a large drone attack on over 40 Russian military aircraft last week, damaging or destroying tens of Tu-95 and Tu-22 strategic bombers, which Russia uses to fire long-range missiles at Ukraine.
Reuters
04-06-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Ukraine releases new footage of drone attack on Russian strategic bombers
KYIV, June 4 (Reuters) - Ukraine released new footage on Wednesday of its major drone strike on four Russian military airbases, showing attack drones targeting numerous Russian strategic bombers and landing on two airborne early warning and control planes. Ukrainian authorities say Sunday's attack on the airfields using 117 drones hit 41 military aircraft. Reuters has not independently verified that number. Satellite imagery shows several bombers were destroyed and badly damaged at one base. New drone footage released by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) showed drones landing on the dome antennae of two A-50 military spy planes, of which there are only a handful in Russia's fleet. There was no video showing the drones detonate. Reuters was able to independently verify the locations of all four air bases in the footage, including Ivanovo airbase where the A-50s were stationed. Reuters could not independently verify what date the footage was filmed. The SBU said in a statement that the aircraft struck included the A-50, the Tu-95 strategic bomber, the Tu-22M3 supersonic jet bomber, the Tu-160 strategic bomber, as well as the An-12 and Il-78 military cargo planes. Some of those military aircraft are part of Russia's airborne nuclear deterrent, but can also be armed with cruise missiles that Russia has used to pound targets in Ukraine since its full-scale invasion in February 2022. "A significant part of them is irretrievably destroyed, and some damaged aircraft will take many years to rebuild," the SBU said. The Russian Defence Ministry says Ukraine targeted airfields in the Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan and Amur regions and were repelled in the last three locations. Several aircraft caught fire in Murmansk and Irkutsk regions, it said. Russian officials said on Wednesday that military options were "on the table" for its response to Ukrainian attacks deep inside Russia and accused the West of being involved in them. The attack has bolstered Ukrainian morale after months of unrelenting Russian battlefield pressure and numerous powerful missile and drone strikes by Moscow's forces. While condemning other Ukrainian attacks at the weekend on Russian targets, President Vladimir Putin made no mention of the attacks on the airbases in his comments to senior Russian officials on Wednesday. However, influential Russian military bloggers have accused Russian authorities, especially the aerospace command, of negligence and complacency for allowing the nuclear-capable bombers to be targeted. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he had decorated a number of SBU officers for Sunday's operation.
Daily Mail
04-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Extent of damage following Ukraine's attack on Russia
Dramatic new footage recorded by Ukrainian attack drones has laid bare the devastation they inflicted on Russian airbases during Operation Spiderweb. The covert mission - overseen in secret by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and hailed as one of Kyiv 's biggest wartime achievements - used hundreds of first-person view (FPV) drones to strike at the heart of Moscow's air force. The state-of-the-art weapons were smuggled into Russia in wooden containers on the back of lorries, with the deadly cargo disguised as modular homes and transported by unsuspecting Russian drivers. The vehicles were parked near strategic airbases before their roofs opened remotely, unleashing swarms of drones that targeted and destroyed bombers on the ground. The strikes took place on Sunday, with footage released today showing flames engulfing aircraft at four military airfields - Olenya in the Arctic region of Murmansk; Dyagilevo in western Russia; Ivanovo, northeast of Moscow ; and Podmoskovye in Moscow. Sources inside Ukraine's SBU security service claimed the operation crippled 34 percent of Russia's long-range strategic bombers, including the nuclear-capable Tu-95s and Tu-22s, often used to launch cruise missiles into Ukraine. Other aircraft which were hit included the nuclear-capable Tu-160 bomber, the An-12 transport plane and the Il-78 tanker, according to the SBU. The footage was released as new satellite images of Belaya airbase have shown severe damage to at least three Tu-95s, according to analysts. In total Ukraine says 41 aircraft were damaged or destroyed with damage valued at around £1.5 billion. A share of the successfully targeted aircraft were destroyed completely while others will take a long time to repair, the SBU said. Some of the drones carried the mission out using AI, according to reports, and flew via a route that was programmed into them before the attack was launched. The new footage was shown as Putin held a video conference with senior officials. It was the first time he had been seen publicly since the humiliating Sunday strikes. His security officials reported that two train crashes on the same day were caused by Ukrainian saboteurs blowing up rail bridges. At least some of the trucks belonged to former DJ Artem Timofeev, suspected by Russian law enforcement of being a Ukrainian agent. A huge manhunt has been launched for his and his wife Ekaterina 'Katya' Timofeeva, 34, who is suspected to have aided him. The pair have gone missing, say reports. Putin-backing Readovka media outlet reported: '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].' His wife 'has not been online for two weeks, and she has scrubbed all her active social media accounts.' Relatives of the couple declined to comment, according to Readovka. A flat in Chelyabinsk has been linked to Timofeev where he was reportedly seen a week ago. Reports are divided as to whether he was born in Zhytomyr Ukraine, or occupied Donetsk region. Both he and his wife were reportedly supporters in Kyiv of the Ukrainian revolution in 2014, which toppled pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych. Later they moved to Russia, where she also worked as a stylist and tattoo artist. He set up a haulage sole proprietorship in December 2024, and ran several lorries. In his marriage certificate, Timofeev's patronymic - middle name - is listed as Igorevich, while in a Russian wanted notice he is referred to as Valeryevich. It is unclear if he had sought to alter his name. He is specifically wanted over the strike against a Russian airbase in Irkutsk region. In 2014–2015, he lived in Kyiv, and mingled with local musicians, frequently attending parties. Reports say he co-owned a local clothing brand, posting photos from the Euromaidan protests, and mocking ex-president Yanukovych. Ukraine's SBU secret service said its main agents in the audacious strikes on the air bases had already left Russia. Zelensky today urged Kyiv's military backers to ramp up support in a bid to pressure Russia towards peace. 'We must not allow Russia to blur reality or mislead the world. Moscow must be forced into diplomacy,' Zelensky said in a video address to defense ministers meeting in Brussels. And after Sunday's devastating blow to Moscow, German defense minister Boris Pistorius said today that military success by Russia in its war in Ukraine was neither imminent nor to be expected.
