In a historic operation Zelensky Hails ‘Brilliant’ Drone Strike as Ukraine Destroys 40 Russian Aircraft in Deep-Territory Attack. In an operation that has stunned military observers worldwide, Ukraine launched its most ambitious and long-range drone attack deep inside Russian territory, damaging or destroying over 40 Russian combat aircraft, including nuclear-capable strategic bombers. President Volodymyr Zelensky called the strike, codenamed Operation Spiderweb, a “brilliant” military achievement.
According to the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU), the operation used 117 AI-powered FPV drones targeting multiple Russian military airbases, including in Siberia and the Arctic—marking the first time Ukraine has reached so far inside Russia during the war.
Zelensky Hails ‘Brilliant’ Drone Strike as Ukraine Destroys 40 Russian Aircraft in Deep-Territory Attack
Zelensky: A ‘Brilliant Operation’ Years in the Making
President Zelensky announced the strike publicly via posts on X (formerly Twitter) and in a late-night address. He praised the operation as a masterstroke of military intelligence and planning, stating, “A brilliant operation was carried out on enemy territory, exclusively aimed at military targets. Russia suffered truly significant losses entirely justified and deserved.”
Zelensky confirmed that the planning took over 18 months, and he personally authorized it a year and a half ago. The president also revealed that Ukrainian personnel involved in the operation had been extracted from Russian territory and were now safe.
Targets Hit: Strategic Russian Airbases and Bombers
Ukraine claims that the drones damaged $7 billion worth of Russian aircraft, striking 41 planes at five airbases across three time zones, including:
- Belaya Airbase in Irkutsk, Siberia
- Olenya near Finland
- Ivanovo and Dyagilevo, east of Moscow
- A fifth base in the Amur region, as confirmed by Russia’s Defense Ministry
Among the damaged or destroyed aircraft were Tu-95 and Tu-22M3 bombers, as well as A-50 airborne early-warning planes, which Ukraine claims were used to bomb Ukrainian cities.
One Ukrainian official noted that 34% of Russia’s strategic cruise missile carriers were taken out in this one strike, a blow that could seriously impact the Kremlin’s long-range offensive capability.
How Ukraine Pulled It Off: AI-Powered FPV Drones
This drone assault was far from typical. Unlike previous operations that launched drones from Ukrainian territory, Operation Spiderweb utilized an entirely new method: the drones were smuggled inside Russian borders, hidden in wooden compartments aboard trucks.
Once the trucks arrived near the airbases, their roofs were opened remotely, and the AI-guided FPV drones launched into action. These drones did not rely on GPS and instead used advanced visual-inertial navigation and LiDAR technology, making them resistant to jamming and exceptionally precise.
Each strike drone mission reportedly cost only $10,000 a fraction of the cost of launching a cruise missile making this a highly cost-effective operation.
Impact Beyond the Battlefield: Political and Strategic Ramifications
This dramatic show of force came just a day before a scheduled round of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul, hosted by Turkey and pushed forward by U.S. President Donald Trump. Ukraine’s delegation, led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, arrived with a clear message: Kyiv is far from defeated.
“We are still in this fight,” Zelensky said. He reiterated that Ukraine had already agreed to a U.S.-proposed ceasefire back in March, but Russia chose to continue its aggression. “Pressure is truly needed—through sanctions, diplomacy, and our armed forces,” he said.
First Strike on Siberia: A Game Changer
According to Igor Kobzev, governor of the Irkutsk region, this was the first drone strike of its kind in Siberia, with local residents witnessing explosions and black smoke.
Russian Telegram military channels like Rybar described the attacks as a “very heavy blow” and admitted to “serious errors” in intelligence and base security.
Ukrainian sources have emphasized the symbolic nature of this operation striking so deep into Russian territory that one drone launch site was reportedly right next to an FSB headquarters.
A Message to the West: Ukraine Still Has “Cards to Play”
Military analysts and Ukrainian commentators were quick to highlight the operation’s significance beyond the battlefield. Serhii Kuzan, a defense analyst, told Ukrainian TV, “No intelligence operation in the world has done anything like this before.” He pointed out that Russia has just 120 strategic bombers, and Ukraine hit a third of them.
Ukrainian military blogger Oleksandr Kovalenko noted the damage will be hard for Russia to recover from. The bombers struck are no longer in production, and replacements are nearly impossible under current Russian industrial conditions.
Propaganda Victory and Military Success Rolled into One
Many are comparing Operation Spiderweb to earlier Ukrainian successes, such as the sinking of the Moskva and the bombing of the Kerch Bridge. But this new drone strike might surpass them in scope and message.
An editorial by Business Ukraine summed up the sentiment: “It turns out Ukraine does have some cards after all. Today, Zelensky played the King of Drones.”
Conclusion: Kyiv Enters Peace Talks with the Upper Hand
As Ukraine and Russia sit down for peace negotiations in Istanbul, Operation Spiderweb ensures that Kyiv enters the talks not as a beaten party, but as one with the strategic and psychological upper hand. The strike also serves as a stark reminder to Ukraine’s Western allies particularly Washington that the war is far from over and that Ukraine still has both the resolve and capability to defend its sovereignty.
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