Operation Spiderweb was being prepared over the past year and a half and was overseen by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, sources at the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said.
The drone strikes were carried out ahead of peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, scheduled to take place in Istanbul on Monday.
Meanwhile, Russian media reported that a Russia’s delegation has already departed for the talks.
Security sources have claimed the SBU initially smuggled first-person view (FPV) drones into Russia, followed by mobile wooden cabins.
The trucks were then parked near the military bases targeted in the operation.
The operation, codenamed Spiderweb, took place ahead of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Turkey (Photo: SBU)
Russia’s TASS news agency reported that the driver of one of the trucks believed to be involved in the attacks has been detained and will be questioned by police.
The ministry said on Telegram that all of the attacks were “repelled”.
The fires have now been extinguished, it added.
Could Russia respond with nuclear weapons?
Among targets struck in the attacks were TU-95’s, the large strategic bomber known as Bear, TU-22M3s, supersonic long-range bombers, and A-50 early warning and control aircraft.
Stephen Hall, lecturer in Russian and post-Soviet politics at the University of Bath, told The i Paper that striking Russia’s nuclear-capable bombers would technically allow it to respond using nuclear weapons.
“The Russian nuclear doctrine is… incredibly vague, because that gives the regime leeway as to what it wants to do, but I suspect that Russia will not resort to using nuclear weapons, because this would isolate them even further.
What does it mean for peace talks?
Operation Spiderweb was carried out ahead of a second round of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in Turkey.
Zelensky confirmed on Sunday morning that a Ukrainian delegation headed by defence minister Rustem Umerov will also attend the talks.
Professor Hall said the strikes could be a way to show Donald Trump’s administration, which spearheaded the talks, “that they should start backing the right horse in this war”.
“It could also be a way of showing how weak Russia is to the Russian society.”
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