KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – According to a Ukrainian security official speaking to The Associated Press on Sunday, over 40 Russian aircraft were destroyed deep within Russian territory as a result of a Ukrainian drone strike, while Russia launched a barrage of missiles and drones at Ukraine just ahead of planned direct negotiations in Istanbul.
The source, who requested anonymity to discuss the operation’s specifics, revealed that the mission took more than a year and a half to organize. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy provided direct oversight for the operation, the official said.
Drones were covertly transported inside containers on trucks far across the Russian border. The official stated that on Sunday afternoon, the drones struck 41 bombers located at several Russian airfields, among them the Belaya air base in Irkutsk region, which lies more than 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles) from Ukraine. Irkutsk’s regional governor, Igor Kobzev, confirmed that a Ukrainian drone had never previously reached the region.
Russia’s Defense Ministry acknowledged the strikes in an official statement, noting that five airfields were targeted. According to the ministry, First Person View (FPV) drones inflicted damage on planes and ignited fires at air bases in Irkutsk and the northern Murmansk region. Meanwhile, Russia reported successfully intercepting drone attacks in the Amur region in the Far East, as well as in Ivanovo and Ryazan regions to the west.
This strike coincided with President Zelenskyy’s announcement that Ukraine would dispatch a team to Istanbul for renewed peace negotiations with Russia on Monday.
On Telegram, Zelenskyy announced that his country’s defense minister, Rustem Umerov, would head the Ukrainian delegation.
“We are doing everything to protect our independence, our state and our people,” Zelenskyy stated.
Ukrainian authorities had previously insisted that Russia provide a memorandum clarifying its position on ending the conflict in advance of the meeting. The Kremlin responded that it would share its memorandum during the negotiations.
Ukraine’s air force reported on Sunday that Russia had launched the largest wave of drones since the invasion began in February 2022, deploying 472 drones against Ukraine in a single day.
According to Yuriy Ignat, head of communications for the air force, Russian troops also fired seven missiles along with the drone assault. Earlier that day, the Ukrainian military confirmed at least 12 Ukrainian personnel had died and more than 60 were wounded in a Russian missile attack targeting a training unit.
The strike happened at 12:50 p.m., according to their statement, which also indicated there were no mass concentrations or assemblies of personnel at the time.
Later Sunday, Mykhailo Drapatyi, an army commander known for leading Ukrainian advances on the eastern front during the 2022 counteroffensive, resigned following the attack.
The targeted training facility was positioned behind the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) active front line, an area reachable by Russian reconnaissance and attack drones. Ukrainian troops, suffering from manpower shortages, take steps to avoid assembling in groups since Russian drones constantly surveil the front lines for potential targets.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported on Sunday that its forces had seized control of the village of Oleksiivka in Ukraine’s northern Sumy region. The same day, Sumy officials ordered mandatory evacuations for 11 additional settlements as Russian advances continued in the area.
Ukraine’s top commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said on Saturday that Russian troops were concentrating their primary assaults around Pokrovsk, Toretsk, Lyman in Donetsk region, along with the Sumy border zone.
