Ukraine Russia Drone Attack: Bombers Targeted
- Kyiv says it executed its most extensive long-range strike against Russia (long-range attack) on Sunday, deploying smuggled drones to target 40 Russian warplanes at four military installations.
- Sources within the SBU told BBC News that the planning and execution of the strikes took 18 months.
- The strikes occurred as Russian and Ukrainian negotiators prepared to meet in Istanbul,Turkey,for a second round of peace talks on Monday.
Ukraine launched a major drone attack targeting Russian airbases, striking at the heart of Russia’s military capabilities in a “long-range attack.” President Zelensky announced the operation, dubbed “Spider’s Web,” involved 117 drones, aimed at strategic cruise missile carriers. As the conflict intensifies, with peace talks set to resume in Istanbul, News Directory 3 delivers the latest on this unfolding situation. Russia has acknowledged the attacks while also reporting that it thwarted an arson attack, further escalating tensions. Experts are assessing the damage, the impact on peace talks, and the implications of these aggressive maneuvers. Discover what’s next …
Ukraine Claims Major Drone Attack on Russian Airbases
Updated June 2, 2025
Kyiv says it executed its most extensive long-range strike against Russia (long-range attack) on Sunday, deploying smuggled drones to target 40 Russian warplanes at four military installations. The drone attack, dubbed ”Spider’s Web,” involved 117 drones, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky. He said the operation, orchestrated by the SBU security service, struck “34% of [Russia’s] strategic cruise missile carriers.”
Sources within the SBU told BBC News that the planning and execution of the strikes took 18 months. Russia acknowledged the Ukrainian attacks across five regions, denouncing them as a “terrorist act.”
The strikes occurred as Russian and Ukrainian negotiators prepared to meet in Istanbul,Turkey,for a second round of peace talks on Monday. The peace talks are slated to begin around 1 p.m. local time (10 a.m.GMT) at the Ciragan Palace. Expectations for a breakthrough remain tempered, with both sides holding firm on their positions regarding the resolution of the conflict.
Meanwhile, ukrainian officials reported a large-scale drone and missile assault on Ukrainian territory over the weekend. According to the regional governor, at least six people, including a 7-year-old child, sustained injuries in a strike in Kharkiv early Monday.
Separately, Russia’s state news agency Ria reported that the country’s security service prevented an attempted arson attack in eastern Russia. Two residents in the Primorye region allegedly attempted to sabotage a railway track under orders from Ukraine, the agency said.
The SBU sources told BBC News that the attack involved drones hidden in wooden mobile cabins, with remotely operated roofs on trucks, brought near the airbases and then fired “at the right time”.
zelensky, in social media posts Sunday, congratulated SBU head Vasyl Maliuk on the “absolutely brilliant result” of the operation. He added that each of the 117 drones launched had its own pilot.
“The most interesting thing – and we can already say this publicly – is that the ‘office’ of our operation on Russian territory was located right next to the FSB of Russia in one of their regions,” the Ukrainian president said. The FSB is Russia’s state security service.
The SBU estimated the damage to Russia’s strategic aviation at approximately $7 billion, promising further details soon. These claims have not been independently verified.
A screenshot from footage released by Ukraine purportedly showing a drone attack on Russian warplanes [SBU source]
The Russian defense ministry confirmed attacks on airbases in five regions. It claimed “all attacks were repelled” on military airbases in the Ivanovo,Ryazan and Amur regions. In the Murmansk and Irkutsk regions,”several aircraft caught fire” after drones were launched from nearby areas,the ministry said.
The ministry added that all fires were extinguished, and there were no casualties. “Some of the participants in the terrorist attacks have been detained,” it said.
Ukrainian authorities reported that 472 drones and seven ballistic and cruise missiles were involved in a wave of attacks on Ukraine. Ukraine says it “neutralized” 385 aerial targets.
In a separate development, Ukraine’s land forces said 12 of its military personnel were killed and more than 60 injured in a Russian missile strike on a training center.
What’s next
As peace talks resume, the international community watches closely, hoping for a diplomatic resolution to the ongoing conflict. The success of these talks remains uncertain, but the resumption of dialogue offers a glimmer of hope amid continued fighting.