Drone attack destroys 40 Russian aircraft, says Kyiv

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

- ALEX CROFT

The so-called “Spider Web” operation, carried out by Ukraine’s SBU security service, saw drones smuggled thousands of kilometres into Russian territory using lorries, before they were unleashed to destroy the aircraft, the SBU said.

In his evening address yesterday, 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.

Russia confirmed that Ukraine attacked airfields across five regions, causing several aircraft to catch fire. “The attacks occurred in the Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur regions. Air defences repelled the assaults in all but two regions, Murmansk and Irkutsk,” Moscow’s defence ministry said.

Vladimir Putin will be “infuriated” by the “unprecedented” attack if it is as damaging as Kyiv claims, Russia expert John Lough told The Independent, describing it as a “huge win” for Ukraine that will boost morale within the military.