 "Russia confirms Ukraine attacked its 5 air bases using FPV drones")
The Russian Defence Ministry said on Sunday that five of its air bases were hit by Ukrainian drone attacks, damaging an unknown number of aircraft.
Ukraine claimed it had destroyed around 40 Russian planes, including powerful strategic bombers, in large-scale drone strikes on Russian bases.
Ukrainian officials said the attack was carefully planned over 11 months by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).
The SBU added that the strikes targeted Russian military aircraft worth an estimated $7 billion at air bases deep inside Russia.
“Today, the Kyiv regime carried out a terrorist attack using FPV drones on airfields in the Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur regions. All terrorist attacks on military airfields in the Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur regions were repelled,” the Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement.
“No casualties were reported among either servicemen or civilians. Some of those involved in the terrorist attacks have been detained,” it added.
brilliant operation carried on enemy territory: Zelenskyy
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed the strikes as a “brilliant operation” that took over a year and a half to plan, saying 117 drones were used.
Today, a brilliant operation was carried out — on enemy territory, targeting only military objectives, specifically the equipment used to strike Ukraine. Russia suffered significant losses — entirely justified and deserved.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 1, 2025
“Today, a brilliant operation was carried out—on enemy territory, targeting only military objectives, specifically the equipment used to strike Ukraine. Russia suffered significant losses—entirely justified and deserved. The preparation took over a year and a half. Planning, organisation, every detail was perfectly executed. It can be said with confidence that this was an absolutely unique operation,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X.
For the first time, Ukraine has hit deep Russian air bases—Olenegorsk in the Murmansk region and Sredny in Siberia’s Irkutsk region—using drones launched from nearby areas, according to reports.
Experts believe President Zelenskyy is increasing pressure on Moscow ahead of the second round of peace talks, scheduled for Monday in Istanbul.
Russia’s delegation, led by Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky, has already arrived in Turkey for the talks.
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