Drone attack a serious blow to Kremlin arsenal

Kyiv destroyed more than 40 military aircraft in drone attacks deep inside Russia's territory, Ukraine's Security Service said. But what effect will it have on Vladimir Putin's war plans?

- The Associated Press reports

A SURPRISE Ukrainian drone attack that targeted several Russian air bases hosting nuclear-capable strategic bombers was unprecedented in its scope and sophistication, and for the first time reached as far as Siberia in a heavy blow to the Russian military.

Ukraine said more than 40 bombers, or about a third of Russia's strategic bomber fleet, were damaged or destroyed on Sunday, although Moscow said only that several planes were struck.

The conflicting claims couldn't be independently verified, and video of the assault posted on social media showed only a couple of bombers hit.

But the bold attack demonstrated Ukraine's capability to hit high-value targets anywhere in Russia, dealing a humiliating blow to the Kremlin and inflicting significant losses to Moscow's war machine.

While some Russian military bloggers compared it to another infamous Sunday surprise attack - Japan's strike on the US base at Pearl Harbour in 1941 - others rejected the analogy, arguing the actual damage was far less significant than Ukraine claimed.

For decades, long-range bombers have been part of the Soviet and Russian nuclear triad, which also includes land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and atomic-powered submarines carrying ICBMs.

The strategic bombers have flown regular patrols around the globe showcasing Moscow's nuclear might.

During the three-year-old war in Ukraine, Russia has used the heavy planes to launch waves of cruise missile strikes across the country.

The Tupolev Tu-95, which was code named Bear by Nato, is a four-engine turboprop plane designed in the 1950s to rival the US B-52 bomber.