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Ukraine’s Covert Drone Strike Incinerates Over 40 Russian Bombers Deep in Siberia

Personally overseen by President Zelenskyy, the attack on Siberian airfields intensifies pressure before Ukraine’s Umerov heads to Istanbul for peace talks

Smoke rises above the area following what local authorities called a drone attack on a military unit in the Sredny settlement, in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict in the Usolsky district of the Irkutsk region, Russia, in this still image from a video published June 1, 2025.
Emergency service members work at the site where Russian drones damaged several private houses, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, June 1, 2025. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
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Overview

  • Ukrainian officials said FPV drones launched from hidden trucks struck 41 bombers at airfields including Belaya in Irkutsk Oblast, more than 4,000 km from Ukraine’s border.
  • The Security Service of Ukraine reported the complex operation took over 18 months to plan, destroyed about 34 percent of Russia’s air missile carriers and caused an estimated $7 billion in losses.
  • Russia’s Defense Ministry confirmed fires at air bases in Irkutsk and Murmansk and said it repelled incursions in the Amur, Ivanovo and Ryazan regions.
  • In retaliation, Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched a record 472 drones and seven missiles, and a Russian strike on a training unit killed at least 12 soldiers and wounded more than 60.
  • Ukraine’s delegation, led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, is set to meet Russian counterparts in Istanbul on June 2 for a fresh round of peace negotiations.