Ukrainian forces carried out a massive drone attack targeting Russian bombers and other aircraft on Sunday, striking dozens of planes, a security source told Business Insider.
The source in the Security Service of Ukraine said that the agency carried out “a large-scale special operation” to destroy Russian bombers deep inside the country. They said that the attack drones hit at least 40 aircraft, including Beriev A-50 airborne early warning and control planes and Tupolev Tu-95 and Tupolev Tu-22M strategic bombers.
Screenshot/Video obtained by BI
Video footage captured by a drone and obtained by BI shows a row of Russian bombers burning, sending thick plumes of black smoke into the air.
Another video captures the moment a drone hits an aircraft.
At least two bombers in this footage, including the one that gets struck, are covered in tires. Russia has used this tactic throughout the war in an apparent attempt to confuse Ukrainian weapons systems, like drones and missiles, that are looking for the aircraft.
Screenshot/Video obtained by BI
Screenshot/Video obtained by BI
“Enemy strategic bombers are burning en masse in Russia,” the SBU source shared in translated remarks. They identified the Belaya airbase, in Russia’s central Irkutsk region, as one of the sites Ukraine attacked and said Moscow’s losses amount to billions of dollars.
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“We are waiting for details. And we hope that the number of planes hit will increase!” the source added.
It’s unclear what type of drones Ukraine used in the massive attack, which reportedly targeted multiple airfields across Russia. BI could not independently verify the details of the operation.
Russia’s defense ministry has yet to issue a public statement on the attack, nor did it immediately respond to BI’s request for comment on the attack.
The Tu-95 and Tu-22M strategic bombers have been used to launch missile strikes against Ukrainian targets. Russia’s attacks have intensified recently; Moscow launched more than 900 drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles over just a three-day period in late May, officials said.
The attack on Sunday marks Ukraine’s latest deep strike into Russia. Kyiv’s forces have used domestically produced drones and missiles to hit airbases, ammunition depots, and weapons-making sites far behind enemy lines over the past year.
