Ukraine says it has launched a “large-scale” operation aimed at destroying Russian bombers, just as it prepares for ceasefire talks with Moscow officials in Istanbul.
Kyiv’s claim that it damaged $2 billion worth of Russian aircraft parked at airbases thousands of kilometres away emerged shortly after the country confirmed a deadly Russian military strike that killed at least 12 of its soldiers at a training site. That incident triggered the resignation of Ukraine’s ground forces commander.
Russia, on its part, reported that two bridges in regions bordering Ukraine collapsed following explosions. Officials are treating the incidents as “acts of terrorism” though they stopped short of naming Ukraine as responsible.
These events come on the back of fresh Russian ground gains in Ukraine’s border Sumy region, while both sides have continued to carry out aerial assaults.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced he was sending a delegation to Istanbul for Monday’s meeting, led by his Defence Minister Rustem Umerov.
The talks are being hosted by Turkey, reportedly at the prompting of US President Donald Trump, who wants to fast-track a deal to end the war, now in its third year.
Although Zelensky had previously expressed doubts about Russia’s intentions for the meeting, he said Ukraine’s stance had been made clear.
According to him, the country’s priorities are “a complete and unconditional ceasefire” and the return of prisoners and abducted children. Russia has said it has prepared its own peace terms but has chosen not to reveal them yet.
President Vladimir Putin rejected Turkey’s suggestion that the meeting take place at the leadership level. Russian media confirmed that its delegation was also headed to Istanbul on Sunday.
As diplomacy inches forward, Ukraine and Russia continue to trade blows.
A Ukrainian security source said the cross-border strikes were “aimed at destroying enemy bombers far from the front.”
The source listed targets including airbases in the eastern Siberian city of Belaya, in Olenya near Finland, and in Ivanovo and Dyagilevo, east of Moscow. Belaya was reportedly hit the hardest, with more than 40 aircraft damaged and a fire breaking out. A video shared by the source showed flames and thick black smoke rising from aircraft, though AFP said it couldn’t verify the footage.
Russia’s defence ministry later said several military aircraft “caught fire” but that there were no casualties. It also reported arrests of several “participants.”
Igor Kobzev, governor of the Irkutsk region where Belaya is located, said “it’s the first attack of this sort in Siberia.”
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He urged residents not to panic and shared amateur footage appearing to show a drone and smoke in the sky.
Andrey Chibis, governor of the Murmansk region where the Olenya base is situated, confirmed that “enemy drones” had been spotted and anti-aircraft systems were active.
While Russia regularly reports Ukrainian drone attacks, deep strikes like this are rare. At the same time, Russia has kept up constant assaults on Ukraine.
On Sunday, Ukraine’s air force said it had been hit overnight by 472 Russian drones and seven missiles, the highest number recorded since the full-scale invasion began.
In a statement revealing rare details about its own casualties, the Ukrainian military confirmed that Russia’s “missile strike on the location of one of the training units” had killed 12 soldiers, most of whom had been in shelters.
“As of 12:50 pm (0950 GMT), 12 people are known to have been killed and more than 60 wounded,” the army said. The deaths prompted ground forces commander Mykhailo Drapaty to resign, saying he bore “responsibility” for the loss of life.
Elsewhere, the Russian military said it had seized another village in Ukraine’s northern Sumy region.
Ukrainian officials fear a fresh offensive in this area. Russia says it has already taken several settlements there and claims over 50,000 of its troops are massed just across the border. More than 200 villages have been evacuated as shelling intensifies.
Inside Russia, two blasts took out transport infrastructure. On Saturday, a bridge collapsed in Bryansk region, causing a passenger train bound for Moscow to derail and killing seven people.
Just hours later, another blast took down a rail bridge in the nearby Kursk region, derailing a freight train and injuring the driver. No suspects have been named yet, but authorities have opened a criminal investigation.