Unmasked: Kyiv's Drone Operation Against Moscow's Skies - Revisiting the Aerial Blow
Kyiv's "Spiderweb" Operation: Latest Tally of Aircraft Wreckage - Expanded Aircraft Elimination Strategy in Kiev: Surge in Aviation Asset Destruction Count
Swirling rumors and Whispers of an intricate drone operation orchestrated by Ukraine against deep-lying Russian military airports have stirred up a commotion. The latest intelligence whispered from theauthorities in Kyiv hints at a downed 12 aircraft in Russian forces. The Ukrainian general staff remains mum about the specific types of aircraft. Earlier, Ukraine's security agency, the SBU, reported around 41 damaged aircraft, which range from early-warning aircraft like the Berijew A-50 to combatants like the Tupolev Tu-95, Tu-22, and Tu-160.
Ukraine celebrated this remarkable drone attack on airports in the distant Irkutsk and Murmansk territories as a history-making strike against the Russian air fleet. The SBU tallied more than 40 combat and reconnaissance planes damaged in the assault—approximately a third of the Russian long-range bomber fleet equipped to carry cruise missiles.
Russia's Threatening Retaliation
Russia has issued a stern warning of imminent retaliation. "Seek your retribution," Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, wrote on Telegram. He further pointed towards the Russian troops' rapid advance. "All that needs to be demolished in the air will be razed, and those who should perish will vanish," the former Russian president continued. Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul, according to Medvedev, are unnecessary for harmonious peace; instead, they serve to hasten the Russian victory.
Reports indicate fewer aircraft damages than assumed
The Russian Defense Ministry acknowledged aircraft blazes in the Murmansk and Irkutsk regions triggered by drone attacks, yet failed to specify numbers or types. Independent media, employing their research based on videos and satellite imagery, have reported significantly lower damage rates than the Ukrainian security service's figures - anything from 9 damaged aircraft to a maximum of 14.
These diminutive remote-controlled aircraft had been concealed in wooden boxes on trucks, which unwittingly delivered them to military zones. Upon arriving, the truck roofs sprung open, and the explosives-laden drones commenced their assault.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky lauded the rapid move by his intelligence agency, the SBU, as "an absolutely magnificent achievement." He highlighted that 1.5 years of preparation preceded the attack, with targets including support points in the regions of Ivanovo, Rjasan, and Murmansk in European Russia, Irkutsk in Siberia, and Amur in the Far East.
- Kyiv
- Web
- Ukraine
- Russia
- SBU
- Drone attack
- Intelligence service
- Drone
- Irkutsk
- Murmansk
- Military airport
- Air force
Behind the Curtain:
- Aircraft Targeted: The operation presumably involved:
- Tu-95 Bear bombers
- Tu-22M Backfire bombers
- Tu-160 Blackjack bombers
- A-50 Mainstay airborne early warning and control aircraft
- Damage Estimates: Ukrainian authorities claimed they had 41 aircraft in total. Recent satellite imagery suggests at least 4 Tu-95s were likely damaged or destroyed at Belaya Air Base alone.
- The drone operation, a subject of ongoing speculation, is believed to have targeted Russian military aircraft such as the Tu-95 Bear, Tu-22M Backfire, Tu-160 Blackjack, and the A-50 Mainstay, according to sources in Kyiv.
- Contrary to the claims made by the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU), recent satellite imagery suggests that only a fraction of the Russian air fleet mentioned by the SBU (41 aircraft) may have been affected, with at least 4 Tu-95s possibly damaged or destroyed at Belaya Air Base, as reported by independent media.
