A massive Ukrainian attack destroys Russian military bases
On Sunday, Ukraine launched a large-scale aerial attack using drones targeting four strategic Russian air bases, all located far from the front lines. The targets included bases in Olenya (Murmansk region), Belaya (southeast Siberia), Ivanovo (northeast of Moscow), and Dyagilevo (Ryazan region).
The Olenya base is located about 1800 kilometers from the Ukrainian border and houses a large number of long-range Russian bombers. Footage showed several aircraft ablaze after the attack, with smoke rising from burning planes at the Belaya base, which is about 5500 kilometers from the front.
The Financial Times reported that the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) is leading what it described as a "large-scale special operation" to destroy Russian bombers deep within Russian territory. The newspaper cited a source stating that these aircraft are used to bomb Ukrainian cities at night, and so far more than 40 planes have been targeted.
The report confirmed that the drones attacked the four bases almost simultaneously. Sources indicate that the Ukrainian internal security service is behind these strikes.
In light of the shortage of medium and long-range missiles, Ukraine announced since last April that it would rely more on drone technology. It reported that ten manufacturers would start supplying aircraft this year that can reach targets up to 2500 kilometers away. A long-range drone named "Sokil-300" was also revealed, designed by the "Luch" office in Kyiv, capable of flying up to 3300 kilometers and staying airborne for 26 hours, with the ability to launch guided missiles with a range of up to ten kilometers.