Smoke rises following what local authorities called a Ukrainian drone attack, in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict, in Olenegorsk of the Murmansk region, Russia.
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REUTERS
Ukrainian drones hit several Russian strategic airfields, including the Belaya military base deep in eastern Siberia, while Moscow launched one of its longest drone and missile attacks against Kyiv, escalating tensions ahead of crucial peace talks this week.
More than 40 aircraft, including the Tu-95 and Tu-22 M3 long-range bombers capable of deploying conventional and nuclear weapons as well as the A-50, are reported to have been damaged in the operation on Sunday, an official in Ukraine’s Security Service said on condition of anonymity as the details are not public. Ukraine’s Security Service chief Vasyl Malyuk led the operation and losses are assessed to be around $2 billion, the person said.
Drones were released remotely from wooden mobile houses that were transported on trucks inside Russian territory, according to the official. Bloomberg couldn’t independently verify the claims or reports of large-scale damage to the Russian military bases. Kremlin spokesman Dimitry Peskov didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.
Ukrainian drones on Sunday attacked a military base near the settlement of Sredniy, Igor Kobzev, the governor for the Irkutsk region that’s some 5,190 km (3,220 miles) from Moscow, said in a Telegram statement. He didn’t specify the scope of the damage. The settlement of Sredniy is in the immediate vicinity of the Belaya military base.
Russian Telegram channels also published unverified reports of a drone attack near the town of Olenegorsk, around 1,840 km from Moscow. The Olenya aviation base is located near Olenegorsk.
Earlier on Sunday, Ukraine came under one of the longest barrages from Russian missiles and drones, with air sirens lasting for more then 9 hours. At least 12 people were killed in a strike on a military training center, prompting Ukraine Ground Forces Commander Mykhaylo Drapatyi to announce his decision to resign due to the casualties.
The incidents occurred just as Moscow and Kyiv prepare to send delegations to Turkey for a second round of peace talks on Monday. The opening round on May 16, the first in more than three years, ended with a prisoner exchange agreement and discussions on a potential ceasefire. So far, Russia has not signaled if the attacks may affect the talks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday confirmed Defense Minister Rustem Umerov will lead a delegation to Istanbul to discuss issues including a full and unconditional ceasefire, release of prisoners and the return of abducted children.
The delegations should also discuss the prospects of a high-level meeting as key issues can only be resolved by leaders, Zelenskiy added.
Separately, Russia’s main investigating authority on Sunday initiated criminal probes after two bridges blew up in regions bordering Ukraine, crushing passing trains that caused at least seven fatalities and widespread injury.
Authorities have classified the incidents as “terrorist attacks,” the country’s Investigative Committee spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko said in comments broadcast by state TV channel Rossiya 24.
A section of the road bridge in the Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, struck a passenger train en route to Moscow shortly before midnight on Saturday, the regional governor Alexander Bogomaz said in a Telegram post. The number of injured stands at over 70, he said.
Hours later, a similar incident occurred in Kursk, which also borders Ukraine. There a railway bridge collapsed as a freight train was passing, Governor Alexander Khinshtein said. The engine crew was hospitalized.
It’s unclear whether there is a connection between the two.
Russia’s government, including Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, has been notified of the two incidents, state news agency Tass reported, citing Transportation Ministry head Roman Starovoit.
Ukraine has so far made no official comment on the bridge incidents. However, Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Ukrainian Center for Countering Propaganda, said on Sunday the Kremlin may be “preparing the ground for disruption of the talks,” adding it’s not the first time Russia conducts “false-flag” attacks.
“Ukraine has no motive to disrupt the Istanbul summit. On the contrary, Ukraine agreed to a ceasefire long ago,” Kovalenko said in a Telegram post.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Military Intelligence Service said a military train exploded in the Zaporizhzhia region, which is partially occupied by Russia, without giving details on how the blast occurred. The explosion disrupted logistics between the area and the Crimea peninsula, annexed by Russia in 2014, the service said.
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Published on June 1, 2025