Latest news with #militaryOperation
Fox News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Ukraine's 'Spider's Web' drone strike burns over 40 Russian warplanes, Moscow calls it 'terrorist attack'
Ukrainian forces destroyed dozens of Russian warplanes on Sunday in a coordinated drone strike that penetrated deep into Russian territory, hitting five military airfields and igniting aircraft, including strategic bombers and surveillance planes. The operation, called "Spider's Web," took 18 months to plan and was personally overseen by President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine's security service (SBU) said. Ukraine used small FPV drones hidden inside wooden cabins mounted on trucks. When the trucks reached their targets, the roofs opened by remote control, and the drones launched. Videos on social media showed drones lifting off from parked trucks and striking large aircraft on the runways. In a statement on X, Zelenskyy called the operation "an absolutely brilliant result" and said it was "achieved solely by Ukraine." He said the mission took "one year, six months, and nine days from the start of planning to effective execution" and described it as "our most long-range operation." He added that "our people involved in preparing the operation were withdrawn from Russian territory in time" and thanked General Vasyl Maliuk, head of the SBU, for the success. Zelensky said some details could not be disclosed yet but declared: "These are Ukrainian actions that will undoubtedly be in history books… Ukraine is defending itself, and rightly so." Russia's defense ministry confirmed that airfields in five regions were attacked: Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan and Amur. Russia called the strike a "terrorist act" but said its forces repelled the attack. Still, the ministry admitted several aircraft caught fire. Russian officials said some suspects had been arrested. Ukraine said 117 drones were SBU claimed 34% of Russia's strategic bombers were hit and estimated the damage at $7 billion. BBC Monitoring reported that other Ukrainian experts gave a lower estimate of $2 billion. These numbers have not been confirmed. The attack happened just before planned peace talks between Ukraine and Russia were set to begin Monday in Istanbul, which are backed by President Donald Trump, the BBC LAUNCHES LARGEST AERIAL ATTACK OF UKRAINE WAR, KILLING AT LEAST 12 Ukraine says it will push for a full ceasefire, the return of captured prisoners, and the return of children taken to Russia. Those terms have not been agreed to by Russia. The White House confirmed to Fox News that the Trump administration was not informed about the attack in advance. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who did not speak to Ukrainian officials immediately after the operation, was ultimately given a full briefing and subsequent updates, according to a senior defense officials said the blitz was highly sophisticated, and that the Pentagon is unsure whether the quadcopter drones, which were prepositioned in Russia in cabins and then offloaded into trucks, were piloted or autonomous.U.S. officials were skeptical of reports that up to 50 Russian bombers were hit, and believed the number was likely between 11 and 15, the official said, who added it may have involved as many as five Russian airfields. Military experts say the raid damaged Russia's ability to launch long-range missile attacks. The bombers hit included TU-95 and TU-22M3 aircraft, which have been used in past strikes on Ukraine. Ukraine also claimed it damaged a Russian A-50 radar aircraft, used to direct Russian air power.
NHK
4 days ago
- General
- NHK
Ukrainian drone strikes hit 41 aircraft at Russian airfields, media report
Ukrainian media report that the country's security agency has launched drone strikes on airfields in Russia and struck 41 strategic aircraft, including bombers. Moscow has confirmed such attacks. The media on Sunday quoted sources as saying the operation was conducted by the Security Service of Ukraine. A photo that purportedly shows the agency's head, Vasyl Maliuk, directing the operation was also published. The media reported that it took more than 18 months to prepare the operation. The sources explained that the agency concealed drones in truck-mounted wooden mobile cabins inside Russian territory. They added that the roofs of the cabins were remotely opened to allow the drones to take off to launch the attacks. The security agency said on social media that it carried out an operation codenamed "Spider Web." It estimated the value of the damage to Russian strategic aircraft as 7 billion dollars. The agency also claimed that 34 percent of the strategic cruise missile carriers at Russia's main airfields were hit. It stressed that Ukraine is doing everything it can to drive the enemy out of its homeland. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took to social media, saying the "most long-range operation" conducted by his country produced an "absolutely brilliant result." Zelenskyy wrote that the people involved in the mission had been "withdrawn from Russian territory in time." He added that the operation "will undoubtedly be in history books." Meanwhile, the Russian defense ministry acknowledged on Sunday that the Ukrainian military mounted drone attacks on airfields in five regions of Russia. The ministry said several aircraft at airfields in the eastern Siberian region of Irkutsk and the northern region of Murmansk caught fire, but no casualties occurred. It added that some people involved in the "terrorist attacks" were detained. The governor of Irkutsk said on social media that the drone attack was the first of its kind in Siberia.
Yahoo
4 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 Independent
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
The West has finally spoken up on Gaza – but it must not stop there
Certainly not before time, the British government on Tuesday suspended trade talks with the Netanyahu administration and slapped it with further sanctions over its 'egregious' military operation to 'take over' Gaza – or whatever remains of it. So, too, have other close allies of Israel warned Benjamin Netanyahu to permit urgently needed humanitarian aid through. They must also act. It is some months since anything resembling an adequate supply of food and medicines were provided to keep blameless Palestinian civilians alive, and famine, as well as war and pestilence, now stalks the Holy Land in grim Biblical fashion. Tom Fletcher, the UN relief chief whose powerful speech last week did so much to mobilise global opinion, warns now that the lives of some 14,000 infants will be lost over the next 48 hours – if aid remains held up by the Israeli authorities. As Mr Fletcher notes, a mere five trucks of aid have gone into Gaza recently – a 'drop in the ocean'. And even this minuscule contribution is only just inside the border, and hasn't reached many civilians. As the lorries contain baby food, they are unlikely to be compelling targets for Hamas to steal. Now reports say 100 lorries are coming through, but many thousands are needed on a consistent basis for disaster to be averted. The situation, always appalling, has now reached unimaginable levels of desperation in Gaza, and the images of obviously malnourished, starving children have been so graphic that international pressure has forced Mr Netanyahu to bend – a little. In a defiantly candid broadcast, the Israeli prime minister informed his people that such has been the outrage in the United States Congress from those normally automatically loyal to the Netanyahu administration that he has had to relent and permit essential supplies to move into the war zone. Mercy, in other words, has nothing to do with it. With a knowing expression on his face, Mr Netanyahu stressed that the only reason even token aid was being allowed in was for 'practical and diplomatic reasons'. Specifically, Mr Netanyahu cited US senators – Israel's 'greatest friends in the world' – who told him they would withdraw support for the country because of the media images of starving Palestinians. In his own account, they apparently informed him: 'We cannot accept images of hunger, mass hunger. We cannot stand that.' That statement is telling in a number of ways. First, it does prove that even this man, whose instinct for political survival is well-developed, and his even more extreme cabinet colleagues, are susceptible to political pressure. Second, as has been obvious since the foundation of the state of Israel, it is always the United States above all that counts. Such has been the wanton destruction and newly stated ambition of Israeli territorial control in Gaza – a distinct break with past policy – it raises questions around what has been discussed between President Trump and Mr Netanyahu, given that even the modest restraints on Israeli aggression and expansionism that had been urged during the Biden administration (and many of its predecessors) seem to have gone. Recent events involving settlers on the West Bank are also suggestive of an unprecedented level of American indulgence. How far prospective Israeli military occupation of the rubble-scape of Gaza is consistent with President Trump's ambition to create an American-administered resort remains to be determined. But there appears no sign of President Trump exerting himself to save Arab lives. The US National Security Council spokesperson James Hewitt has stated: 'Hamas has rejected repeated ceasefire proposals, and therefore bears sole responsibility for this conflict.' That may be true, but Israel has long since abused its inalienable right to defend itself after the 7 October atrocities, and conducted the conflict such that it has provoked charges of war crimes at the International Court of Justice. The war has become obscenely disproportionate. Given that the Trump administration apparently remains content with this situation, that is all the more reason for America's and Israel's partners to step up the pressure. 'Concrete measures' must start with clear and unambiguous condemnation of the Netanyahu government by Emmanuel Macron, Mark Carney, and all of Israel's other friends. On Tuesday, MPs from five political parties – Labour, the Tories, Lib Dems, Greens and SNP – told the foreign secretary David Lammy that the British government needs to go further and faster, including suspending arms sales to Israel and sanctioning ministers in the Netanyahu government. As The Independent put on the front page of our daily edition on 11 May, we must end the deafening silence on Gaza; it is time to speak up. This must be allied to quiet but forceful diplomatic activity, with a focus on persuading Washington to realise the enormity – and danger – of what is happening. There is a moral, humanitarian case for the Trump White House to act – but also a political and diplomatic one, which the president and his circle might find more persuasive. Mr Netanyahu is not acting in America's interests. The war in Gaza, now seemingly with the objective of levelling the place and forcing its people out, makes Mr Trump's ambition to extend the Abraham Accords, and formal recognition of Israel to his friends in the Gulf states, virtually impossible. Despite the lucrative public and private deals recently secured by Mr Trump, the region will never be stable unless the war in Gaza is ended, and neither will American investment in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar be secure – nor a nuclear deal with Iran be possible. On the Houthis, relations with the new Syrian leader and on Iran, President Trump has shown he is capable of independent thought and action that is not to Mr Netanyahu's tastes; but on Gaza he is, as yet, unmoved. Soon the tragedy in Gaza may lead to a wave of many thousands of perfectly genuine refugees fleeing Palestine for a new life in the West – another powerful reason to end the conflict immediately. There are other measures that may be raised by the international community. The supply of lethal or dual-use weaponry to Israel could be incrementally, gradually curtailed – something President Biden did with the heaviest of ordnance, which was being used by the Israeli army inappropriately in densely populated areas. The question of recognition of the state of Palestine could also be more openly discussed, preparatory to the two-state solution that may feel far distant now, but remains the official policy of most Western nations. Recognition might put it back on the table. Further, more assertive, economic pressure on the Netanyahu government is also an option, though never to be deployed in a manner that would endanger Israel's right to exist. It would also be useful for British ministers, and their international counterparts, to win the arguments with Mr Netanyahu about his war. He did not succeed in the rapid release of the hostages. He has not broken Hamas and ended the threat of terrorist attacks. He has eliminated a few Hamas leaders, but usually not as a result of indiscriminate mass bombings but by carefully targeted assassinations. Put simply, Mr Netanyahu's war in Gaza has not only been a continuing humanitarian disaster, it has failed in its stated objectives. It has left the Israeli people less secure than they were before the 7 October attacks. That, for him, should be the greatest indictment of all.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
What's News: World-Wide
WHATS NEWS WORLD WIDE Israel began activating troops in Gaza as part of an operation aimed at pushing Hamas to demilitarize and release the hostages it holds and said a strike last week targeting Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar likely killed him.
