Overview
- Ukraine’s SBU organized clandestine June–July 2024 strikes using more than 100 FPV drones hidden in altered shipping containers on civilian trucks driven by unwitting Russians.
- Newly reported specifics include shaped‑charge warheads intended to pierce bomber skins and ignite fuel, plus a final staging hub in Chelyabinsk located close to a local FSB office.
- Kyiv claims 41 aircraft were destroyed or damaged across several bases, while coverage citing U.S. sources places confirmed losses closer to about 10.
- Accounts describe a delayed launch due to holiday driver shortages along with mid‑mission mishaps such as a discovered roof panel, a vehicle breakdown, and a lost link that preceded a truck fire reportedly killing a driver.
- Analysts say the operation dented a bomber force that Russia struggles to replace, highlighting how low‑cost drones can threaten high‑value aircraft far from the front.