Ukraine has carried out a massive drone operation targeting key Russian airbases, claiming to have struck more than 40 strategic bomber aircraft in a coordinated assault deep inside Russian territory.
According to Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), the operation was a “large-scale special mission” aimed at crippling Russia’s long-range aerial strike capabilities. “Enemy strategic bombers are burning en masse in Russia,” the SBU stated, describing the attack as a blow against aircraft used in repeated missile strikes against Ukraine.
Russian media outlets confirmed drone strikes in the Murmansk and Irkutsk regions, locations that host major airbases, but claimed Russian air defence systems were actively intercepting incoming threats. The extent of the reported damage has not been independently verified, and Moscow has yet to officially confirm losses.
The Ukrainian drone strike comes amid what Kyiv describes as one of the most intense aerial bombardments it has faced since the full-scale invasion began. Overnight, Ukraine reported being targeted by 472 drones and seven ballistic and cruise missiles in a coordinated Russian assault. Ukrainian air defences claim to have successfully downed 385 of those aerial threats.
The duelling attacks suggest a sharp escalation in the air war between the two nations, with both sides increasingly turning to long-range drone warfare to stretch enemy defences and hit strategic infrastructure.
While the Ukrainian government frames its attack as a preemptive move to disrupt future missile strikes, the coming days may reveal whether the drone offensive succeeded in permanently disabling portions of Russia’s bomber fleet or merely inflicted temporary disruption.