Ukraine launches massive drone strike on air bases deep inside Russia
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Soldiers from the artillery crew of the Striletskyi Special Forces Police Battalion of the Main Department of the National Police in the Zaporizhzhia region prepare for a combat mission in the Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, on May 23, 2025. Photo: Dmytro Smolienko/Ukrinform/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Ukraine launched unprecedented drone strikes deep inside Russia, targeting dozens of strategic bombers at several bases, according to Ukrainian officials and videos published on social media.
Why it matters: The wide-ranging attack took place shortly before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced he is sending a delegation headed by minister of defense Rustem Umerov to ceasefire talks with Russia in Istanbul on Monday.
- Ukraine did not notify the Trump administration of the attack in advance, a Ukrainian official said. A U.S. official also told reporters the Trump administration was not made aware of the attack.
Driving the news: A Ukrainian official told Axios the operation codenamed "spider web" was conducted by the country's security service and was planned for a year and a half. The head of Ukraine's security service, Vasyl Maliuk, ran the operation.
- Zelensky said on X that the Ukrainian intelligence agents managed to work for months inside Russia under the nose of the Russian FSB domestic security service.
- "The 'office' of our operation on Russian territory was located directly next to FSB headquarters in one of their regions," he wrote.
- A Ukrainian official said this "office" was located in Chelyabinsk Oblast, more than 2000 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
State of play: Ukrainian intelligence agents launched 117 attack drones from trucks that have been covertly placed near Russian air bases — some of them in Siberia — thousands of kilometers from Ukraine.
- Around 40 Russian military planes — most of them strategic bombers — were reportedly hit in the attack. Zelensky said 34% of Russias strategic bombers were hit.
- A Ukrainian official said the planes that were attacked were used by the Russian military for air strikes on Ukrainian cities.
- "The people who assisted us were withdrawn from Russian territory before the operation, they are now safe," Zelensky said.
Zoom in: The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed air bases in five different parts of Russia were attacked. In three of the regions, the attacks were repelled, the ministry claimed.
- According to the ministry, several aircraft "caught fire" but have been extinguished following attacks in the Murmansk and Irkutsk regions. There were no casualties in the attacks, the Russian ministry of defense said.
- Over the past 24 hours, Russia conducted heavy drone strikes on Ukrainian cities including on Kyiv.
What they're saying: Zelensky wrote on X that he had a meeting with the heads of the military and security services to get a briefing on the results of the operation and on the ceasefire talks with Russia that will take place on Monday.
- "An absolutely brilliant result. Our most long-range operation. These are Ukrainian actions that will undoubtedly be in history books. We are doing everything to make Russia feel the need to end this war," Zelensky wrote.
- Zelensky stressed that "a full and unconditional ceasefire, release of prisoners and the return of abducted children" will be the main issues in talks with Russia on Monday.
- "The key issues can only be resolved by the leaders," he said.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke on Sunday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and reiterated President Trump's call for continued direct talks between Russia and Ukraine to achieve a lasting peace, state department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement.
Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.
