In a coordinated and far-reaching drone offensive against several Russian military airbases, Ukraine has destroyed dozens of aircraft and striking deep within Russian territory.
Ukrainian security officials said the operation was targeted at least four military installations, including Belaya in Irkutsk, Dyagilevo in Ryazan, Olenya in Murmansk, and Ivanovo in western Russia
The Kyiv Independent on Sunday, June 1, said Ukraine has carried out a highly coordinated attack on some locations thousands of kilometers from Ukraine’s borders, and were hit almost simultaneously in what Ukrainian officials are describing as one of their most complex and ambitious cross-border operations since the full-scale war began in 2022.
A senior official from Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), speaking on condition of anonymity, said the strikes were executed using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) launched from inside Russian territory. According to the source, the drones were concealed under modified truck roofs that opened remotely at the time of launch, allowing the UAVs to take flight undetected.
“Dozens of Russian bombers were destroyed in coordinated hits,” the official said. Among the aircraft reportedly damaged or destroyed were long-range bombers such as the Tu-95 and Tu-22M3, both of which have been regularly used to carry out airstrikes on Ukrainian cities. One of Russia’s few A-50 airborne early-warning and control aircraft was also reportedly targeted.
The most severe destruction was said to have occurred at the Belaya airbase in Siberia, approximately 4,500 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. Footage released by Ukrainian intelligence appeared to show significant smoke and fire damage at the facility, with a voice reportedly that of SBU chief Vasyl Malyuk commenting on the scale of destruction.
Independent verification of the full extent of the damage remains limited. However, geolocation analysis has confirmed some of the targeted sites, particularly at Belaya airfield.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense acknowledged the attacks, describing them as acts of terrorism. It confirmed that air defense systems responded to the drone incursions in several regions, including Ivanovo and Ryazan, but admitted that multiple aircraft were set ablaze in Murmansk and Irkutsk. Authorities also stated that emergency services had extinguished the fires and that no casualties were reported. Some individuals allegedly linked to the strikes have been detained.
Local officials in Irkutsk confirmed that the drones had been launched from mobile platforms near Belaya airfield, although the total number of UAVs involved remains unclear.
Ukrainian sources suggest the mission inflicted more than $2 billion in damage and stressed that the operation directly targeted aircraft used in nightly bombings of Ukrainian cities
