Dozens of Russian military aircraft have been destroyed in an unprecedented drone attack deep inside Russia, a Ukrainian official has said, the day before critical peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv resume in Istanbul.
Codenamed ‘spider web’, first-person view (FPV) drones were smuggled deep inside Russian territory inside trucks, before they were unleashed on multiple Russian airfields destroying more than 40 warplanes, Ukrainian security officials said.
Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the “absolutely brilliant” operation which he said destroyed one third of Russia’s strategic cruise missile carriers stationed at air bases.
Russia confirmed on Sunday that Ukraine had targeted military airfields across five regions on Sunday, causing several aircraft to catch fire – but claimed it had repelled most of the attacks.
Vladimir Putin will be “infuriated” by the “unprecedented” attack if it is as damaging as Kyiv claims, head of foreign policy at the New Eurasian Strategies Centre John Lough told The Independent, describing it as a “huge win” for Ukraine.
The attack came one day before delegations from Moscow and Kyiv sit down for direct peace talks in Istanbul at 10am UK time (1pm local time) on Monday. Ukraine’s delegation will be led by defence minister Rustem Umerov, Mr Zelensky said.