Ukraine’s Drone-Based Attacks on Air Base in Siberia a Day before Istanbul Peace Talks
NEW DELHI, June 1: Ukraine on Sunday launched one of its largest drone-based operations on Russia to date, striking an air base in eastern Siberia, thousands of kilometres from its border. The Russian governor of the Irkutsk region confirmed the attack, saying Ukrainian remote-piloted aircraft attacked a military unit in the village of Sridni, the first such attack in Siberia.
Ukrainian media claimed that a large-scale special operation by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has struck “more than 40” Russian aircrafts at air bases in the “rear of the Russian Federation.”
Citing officials media reported that Russian airbases in the eastern Siberian city of Belaya, in Olenya, up in the Arctic near Finland, and in Ivanovo and Dyagilevo, both east of Moscow, had been targeted. The aircraft destroyed in the attack include Tu-95 and Tu-22M3 bombers, and at least one A-50, Ukraine-based media reports claimed citing sources.
The attack is aimed at destroying enemy bombers far from the front, in Russia, sources said and added that a fire broke out at the targeted Belaya air base. If confirmed, the strikes would be the most damaging Ukrainian drone attack of the war, and would be a significant setback for Moscow. Some videos showed a drone attacking a military unit in Russia’s Irkutsk region.
Army and civilian responders have already been mobilised to tackle the threat, and the source of the drone launch has been blocked, sources said. The operation has been launched under a special operation code-named “Pavutyna” – or “Spider Web” – aimed at degrading Russia’s long-range strike capabilities, Ukrainian media said. Ukraine reportedly planned the attack for a year. The drones were hidden in mobile wooden sheds, which were placed on cargo trucks. At chosen times, the roofs of trucks opened remotely, giving time for drones to flow out and target the chosen airbases.
Ukraine, which lacks Russia’s vast arsenal of missiles, has instead built up a large fleet of attack drones, which it has used to attack Russian military and oil facilities in the past as well. Russia had proposed a fresh round of talks in Istanbul on Monday, a proposal that was accepted by Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a delegation led by his minister Rustem Umerov will be in Istanbul on Monday for talks with Russia.
“I have also defined our position before the Monday meeting in Istanbul,” which includes priorities to reach “a complete and unconditional ceasefire” and the return of prisoners and abducted children, he said on social media on Sunday.
(Manas Dasgupta)
