Ukraine targets more than 40 'enemy bombers' deep inside Russia with drones 'hidden' in special containers, source says
1 June 2025, 16:48 | Updated: 1 June 2025, 17:39
Ukraine has targeted more than 40 Russian bomber planes in a large-scale drone attack - as Russia confirms attack.
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The drones were hidden inside special containers on trucks before they were flown out of them, according to a Ukrainian government source.
The attack is understood to be a major breach of Russia's natural defences.
The targeting of the bomber force will degrade the Russian military's ability to strike Ukraine with missiles.
Video shows thick smoke near Russian Siberia airfields and northern regions
Videos shared by Ukraine's SBU Security Service appear to show a line of Russian strategic bombers with smoke billowing out of them.
"Enemy strategic bombers are massively burning in Russia - this is the result of a special SBU operation," a security source told Sky News.
Video of a Ukrainian FPV drone destroying another Tu-95 strategic bomber in Olenya Air Base in Russia
— Ukraine Battle Map (@ukraine_map) June 1, 2025
Previous unseen footage confirming at least 4 Tu-95s were destroyed in Olenya pic.twitter.com/VCnszpU28t
The video shown to Reuters show attacks on airfields in Russia's Irkutsk and Murmansk regions, according to an unnamed security official.
Russia's Ministry of Defence acknowledged the strikes on airfields across five regions earlier today.
The ministry writes on Telegram that Ukraine carried out a "terrorist attack" in the regions of Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan and Amur.
The ministry says that all attacks were "repelled".
It says: "As a result of the launch of FPV drones from the territory located in the immediate vicinity of airfields, several pieces of aviation equipment caught fire."
It adds that the fires have now been extinguished.
Over 50 FPV drones stored in one truck
— Ukraine Battle Map (@ukraine_map) June 1, 2025
Truck drivers had no clue what they were driving, once they got near a Russian military target, 50 FPV drones take off and bomb high-value military targets, while drones are controlled live from Ukraine 🇺🇦
A Massive Intelligence Operation! pic.twitter.com/TmFHTyOk5L
The attacks come ahead of a second round of direct talks between Ukrainian and Russian officials, set to take place in Istanbul on Monday.
Earlier on social media, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, appeared to reference the large-scale drone assault.
Mr Yermak shared a spider web emoji on both his Telegram channel and X - seemingly alluding to the operation’s reported name, 'Operation Spider’s Web'.
