Ukraine Destroys Over 40 Russian Warplanes in Massive Drone Strike

Kiev : In a significant escalation of its long-range strike capabilities, Ukraine destroyed over 40 Russian military aircraft in a large-scale drone attack deep inside Russian territory, a Ukrainian security official mentioned this on Sunday. The attack comes just ahead of planned peace talks in Istanbul between the two warring sides.

According to the unnamed official, the operation took more than 18 months to plan and was directly overseen by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The drones used in the attack were secretly transported in containers by truck into Russian territory. Once activated, they targeted 41 aircraft at multiple airbases, including long-range bombers like the Tu-95 and Tu-22M, as well as the airborne early-warning A-50 planes.

Russia has frequently used its Tupolev bombers to launch missile strikes into Ukraine, while the A-50 aircraft have served as aerial command centers. The loss of these aircraft is a significant blow to Russia’s strategic capabilities.

Russia’s Defense Ministry confirmed that several of its airfields were targeted in the attack. The statement said that FPV (First-Person View) drones damaged and set aircraft ablaze in locations as far as the Irkutsk region, more than 4,000 kilometers from Ukraine. Additional strikes were reported in Murmansk and other parts of Russia’s Far East, including the Amur, Ivanovo, and Ryazan regions. Russian officials claimed some of the attacks were thwarted.

The timing of the strike is notable, as it coincides with a new round of peace negotiations scheduled to take place in Istanbul on Monday. President Zelensky announced that Ukraine’s delegation would be led by Defense Minister Rustam Umarov. “We are doing everything to protect our independence, our statehood, and our people,” Zelensky said in a statement on Telegram. Ukraine has called on the Kremlin to present its promised memorandum outlining conditions for ending the war before the talks begin.

Meanwhile, Russia launched a major drone and missile offensive against Ukraine. According to Ukraine’s air force, Russia fired 472 drones — the largest number used in a single day since the war began in February 2022 — alongside seven missiles. The drones and missiles struck various Ukrainian targets, causing significant damage.

One of the deadliest attacks occurred at an army training unit, where a Russian missile strike killed at least 12 Ukrainian service members and injured more than 60 others. The strike took place around 12:50 p.m. on Sunday. Ukrainian officials emphasized that there were no mass gatherings or formations at the time of the attack. Following the incident, army commander Mykhailo Drapatyi, under whose leadership Ukraine had made gains on the eastern front in 2022, submitted his resignation.

The training unit was reportedly located 1,000 kilometers from the front line — well within the range of Russian reconnaissance and attack drones. Due to a severe manpower shortage and constant drone surveillance, Ukraine has taken measures to avoid large troop concentrations.

On another front, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed to have seized control of Oleksivka, a village in Ukraine’s northern Sumy region. Ukrainian authorities responded by ordering mandatory evacuations from 11 nearby settlements amid growing Russian advances in the area.

Ukraine’s top military commander, Oleksandr Syrsky, said on Saturday that Russia was concentrating its main offensive efforts on Pokrovsk, Toretsk, and Lyman in the eastern Donetsk region, along with the northern Sumy border area.

As both countries brace for another round of direct talks, Sunday’s events underscored the volatile nature of the conflict — with both sides trading powerful blows even while diplomatic channels remain cautiously open.