Ukraine has carried out a “large-scale” drone strike targeting Russian military bombers in Siberia, hitting over 40 warplanes located thousands of miles from Ukrainian territory, according to international media.
The operation involved smuggling drones into Russia and concealing them in the roofs of wooden sheds positioned near key airfields.
A remotely activated system lifted the roofs of several sheds, allowing drones to launch and initiate their attack, according to an official.
An image, reportedly shared by Ukraine’s security service, showed seven grey, quadrilateral-roofed sheds inside a warehouse, believed to be where the drones were concealed.
Media reports claimed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had personally overseen the complex mission.
On Sunday evening, Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude to those involved, stating, “We had been preparing this operation for over a year and a half. Every aspect—from planning to execution—was meticulously organised. This was truly a one-of-a-kind mission.”
He added that the Ukrainian operation centre inside Russia was positioned “right next to the FSB office in one of the regions.”
“In total, 117 drones were deployed, each with a dedicated operator,” Zelenskyy said. “We managed to hit 34% of the strategic cruise missile carriers at the targeted airfields. Our personnel operated across three different Russian time zones and were safely withdrawn from Russian territory just before the mission.
A video shared on Russian Telegram channels showed similar sheds mounted on a truck, with the roof panels set aside and at least two drones taking off from the top.
Meanwhile, Mash—a Telegram account linked to Russian security services—shared footage allegedly showing individuals in Siberia’s Irkutsk region climbing onto one of the trucks in an effort to stop the drone launch.
