According to a statement from Ukraine’s security service, the SBU, “enemy strategic bombers are burning en masse in Russia”.
It says Ukraine is conducting “a large scale special operation aimed at destroying enemy bomber aircraft.” It says more than 40 aircraft have been hit.
It has released dramatic video which it says shows a drone attack at the Belaya airbase in Irkutsk oblast, in Siberia. Bombers are under attack, with explosions visible and smoke rising.
Reports suggest other aircraft have been attacked at the Olenya airbase, near Murmansk. Russian media is reporting the attack in Murmansk but says air defences are working. The attack in Irkutsk is also being reported.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian authorities say that 472 drones and seven ballistic and cruise missiles were involved in last night’s wave of attacks on Ukraine. This would appear to be one largest single Russian drone attacks so far. Ukraine says it neutralised 385 aerial targets.
Ukraine claims to have hit more than 40 Russian bomber planes in a drone attack
Ukraine's security service says "enemy strategic bombers are burning en masse in Russia" and the "large scale special operation" is aimed at destroying bomber aircraf
Russian media is reporting the attack in Murmansk and Irkutsk but says air defences are working.
Ukrainian authorities report 472 drones and seven ballistic and cruise missiles were involved in an attack on the country last night, in what appears to be one of the largest Russian drone attacks. Ukraine says it neutralised 385 aerial targets
Four airfields attacked across a vast area of Russia and, according to Ukrainian sources, more than 40 aircraft were hit, including some of Moscow’s huge strategic bombers.
Ukraine has attacked such aircraft before, but never on such a scale. Videos appear to show attack drones homing in on their targets as they sit on the tarmac.
It’s not clear how the attack was orchestrated, but given the small size of the drones involved, it’s likely that it was launched from inside Russia.
Earlier, Ukrainian and Russian officials gave differing accounts of two attacks on Russian trains, one of them carrying civilian passengers.
Sources in Moscow spoke of Ukrainian terrorism, while a national security official here in Kyiv accused Russia of mounting a false flag operation to discredit Ukraine ahead of a round of peace talks due to take place in Turkey tomorrow.
All this came as Russia launched one of its biggest drone and missile attacks so far, on targets across Ukraine - 472 drones were recorded, the largest number in a single night.
The latest wave of drone strikes on the Kremlin's military assets comes hours before Russia and Ukraine are set for the next round of peace talks in Istanbul.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said this morning that a delegation will be going to Turkey with the main aim of reaching a "complete and unconditional ceasefire".
Meanwhile, Russian media is reporting that a Russian delegation has departed for the talks in Turkey.
