Ukraine has attacked several Russian military airbases using drones. This is the biggest drone attack by Ukraine since the Russia-Ukraine war started in 2022. The attacks happened just before peace talks were set to begin in Istanbul on Monday.
The Russian Defence Ministry said Ukraine sent drones to five areas inside Russia. These areas include Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur. In some places, the drones caused fires on military planes. This is a major move by Ukraine.
Russia said it stopped most of the drones using air defence systems. But in Murmansk and Irkutsk, the drones came very close to the airbases. Many planes caught fire. Russia also said they arrested some people involved in the attacks.
At the same time, a bridge in Bryansk, a region in Russia near Ukraine, was destroyed. A train with 388 passengers was crossing the bridge. After the explosion, 7 people died and 69 were injured. No one has claimed responsibility yet. Russian officials are calling it a terrorist act, but did not blame Ukraine directly.
UA Zelensky Praises the Attack
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said the drone attack was a “very successful” mission. He said this was Ukraine’s longest-range operation, and it took over 1.5 years to prepare. He posted on Telegram that Ukraine did it independently, without help from others.
Later, in his night video speech, Zelensky said 117 drones were used to hit Russian military bases. He said, “Russia suffered a lot of damage, and they deserve it.”
Ukraine’s security service (SBU) said they destroyed about $7 billion worth of Russian military aircraft. These attacks happened thousands of kilometers away from Ukraine’s frontlines. This shows Ukraine now has long-range attack power.
Russia Responds on the Battlefield
Russia has said it is making progress on the ground. In Sumy region of Ukraine, Russian forces are pushing forward. Open-source maps show Russia captured around 450 square kilometers of land in May 2025. This is their fastest gain in 6 months.
Ukraine’s Air Force also said Russia attacked back with 472 drones and 7 missiles on Ukrainian targets overnight. This is the biggest drone attack by Russia so far in the war. Luckily, no one died in those attacks, and fires were put out.
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Peace Talks Ahead
Despite the attacks, peace talks are planned in Istanbul. Zelensky said Ukraine wants a full and unconditional ceasefire, and also wants prisoners and kidnapped children returned. Russia said it has its own peace demands but has not shared them yet. President Putin also rejected Turkey’s offer to hold a meeting with leaders.
