Ukrainian Security Service Claims Drone Strikes Damaged Over 40 Russian Bombers
Kyiv, The Gulf Observer: Ukrainian authorities have claimed responsibility for a large-scale aerial operation targeting Russian military aviation assets, reportedly striking more than 40 strategic bombers inside Russian territory, in what is being described by observers as one of the boldest attacks on Russia’s air power to date.
In a statement issued by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), officials declared that “enemy strategic bombers are burning en masse in Russia,” and confirmed that the operation forms part of a wider campaign aimed at neutralizing the offensive capabilities of the Russian Air Force.
The SBU characterized the offensive as a “large-scale special operation aimed at destroying enemy bomber aircraft,” indicating that multiple aircraft had been damaged or destroyed in coordinated drone strikes.
Dramatic video footage released by Ukrainian authorities purportedly shows explosions and rising smoke at the Belaya airbase in Irkutsk Oblast, deep in Siberia, where several strategic bombers are believed to have been targeted. In addition to Belaya, reports suggest strikes were also conducted at the Olenya airbase, located near Murmansk in Russia’s far north.
Russian media outlets have acknowledged the attacks, particularly the incident in Murmansk, and reported that air defence systems were engaged in response. Coverage of the Irkutsk strike has also emerged, although official Russian authorities have yet to provide a comprehensive statement on the scale of the reported damage.
The bold Ukrainian operation comes amid an ongoing intensification of aerial warfare between the two countries. Ukrainian defence officials also reported enduring a massive wave of overnight Russian drone and missile attacks. According to Ukrainian sources, Russia launched 472 drones along with seven ballistic and cruise missiles in what could be one of the largest single drone attacks against Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
Ukraine’s air defence forces stated they had successfully neutralized 385 aerial targets during the assault, underscoring both the scale of the Russian offensive and Ukraine’s growing capabilities in countering such threats.
The developments mark a significant escalation in the conflict, with both sides expanding the geographic scope and intensity of their aerial operations, raising further concerns over the protracted nature of the war and its broader regional implications.
