Russia Ukraine war latest: Kyiv’s drones hit Putin’s bombers and cruise missiles deep inside Russian territory

Volodymyr Zelensky shared details of Kyiv’s drone swarm attack that left Russia stunned with the loss, reportedly, of 40 planes, including strategic bombers.

“Today, a brilliant operation was carried out. The preparation took over a year and a half. What’s most interesting, is that the ‘office’ of our operation on Russian territory was located directly next to FSB headquarters in one of their regions,” he said in his nightly address on X.

“In total, 117 drones were used in the operation with a corresponding number of drone operators involved. 34 per cent of the strategic cruise missile carriers stationed at air bases were hit. We will continue this work.”

A Ukrainian drone attack destroyed more than 40 Russian planes deep in the country’s territory, Ukraine’s Security Service said on Sunday, while Moscow pounded Ukraine with missiles and drones just hours before a new round of direct peace talks in Istanbul.

In his evening address on Sunday, Volodomyr Zelensky said that 117 drones had been used in the operation. He claimed the operation had been headquartered out of an office next to the local FSB headquarters, the Russian intelligence and security service.

Former foreign secretary James Cleverly said Ukraine’s latest drone attack, which reportedly destroyed 40 aircraft deep inside Russia, showed the war-hit nation “WILL NOT GIVE UP!”

“Ukraine’s drone attack shows that those who have written them off were wrong to do so. I’ve been to Ukraine, met people at every level of society and I learned one big lesson. THEY WILL NOT GIVE UP!” he said on X.

Russia’s security service FSB thwarted an attempted arson attack on railway transportation in the far eastern region of Primorsky Krai, or Primorye, that was to be conducted on Ukraine’s order, the RIA news agency reported today.

“It was established that two 19-year-old residents of Primorsky Krai, on orders from Ukrainian special services and expecting to receive a monetary reward, committed actions aimed at setting fire to track-side relay cabinets,” RIA cited the service as saying.

Ukraine’s destruction of more than 40 Russian warplanes would be “really, really significant” if the scale of damage claimed by Kyiv is true, a military analyst has told The Independent.

“If the 40 hits are confirmed then it is really, really significant, and a very successful operation,” said Emil Kastehelmi of the Black Bird Group.

The Finnish open-source intelligence organisation has only confirmed six hits so far, but Mr Kastehelmi expects that number to rise.

“Even if it’s just [the six hits which Black Bird Group has confirmed], it’s is still a very successful operation,” he said.

“It’s been done in an interesting way, operating deep inside Russia with FPV [first-person view] drones, which the air defense can’t quickly and very effectively act against whilst they are there.”

The operation may not have gone entirely to plan, Mr Kastehelmi, said. It is “very likely” that one or two of the trucks carrying the drones into Russia exploded before they could reach their targets.