KYIV, June 1 — Ukraine carried out one of its largest drone attacks of the war on Sunday, reportedly striking over 40 Russian military aircraft, including Tu-95 and Tu-22 strategic bombers, a Ukrainian security official told Reuters.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the operation was conducted by Ukraine’s SBU domestic intelligence agency and targeted four separate Russian military airbases simultaneously.
If confirmed, the strikes would mark the most damaging drone assault by Ukraine since the war began, potentially delivering a major blow to Moscow’s airstrike capabilities. The Tu-95 and Tu-22 bombers are key to Russia’s long-range missile campaigns against Ukrainian infrastructure.
The source shared video footage said to be from the operation, showing large aircraft ablaze, some of which resembled Tu-95 bombers. Reuters has not independently verified the videos or the official’s claims.
Ukraine, with a limited supply of missiles compared to Russia, has heavily relied on domestically developed attack drones to hit high-value military and energy targets inside Russian territory.
The drone strikes come amid a Russian proposal for new peace talks in Istanbul on Monday. However, Kyiv has not confirmed whether it will participate in the discussions, signaling a potential impasse as the conflict escalates further.
