On Sunday, Ukraine carried out a “large -scale” operation targeting four military airports across Russia, and included a base in East Siberia, a thousand kilometers away from its borders, according to the agents of the French press and the “Associated Press” from sources in the Ukrainian security services.
For its part, the Russian Ministry of Defense described the Ukrainian attack in the regions of Mormansk, Iricotsk, Ivanovo, Razan and Things as “the terrorist”, according to the “Interfax” agency.
This comes as Ukraine announced that its lands were targeted at night with 472 Russian marches, in the largest Russian air attack since the war in February 2022, and on the eve of the second round of direct talks between the delegations of Moscow and Kiev in Istanbul.
An “unprecedented attack”
Ukrainian official told the Associated Press that the unprecedented Ukrainian attack took more than a year and a half, and was supervised by President Voludimir Zellinski personally.
He added that the operation witnessed the transportation of drones in containers carrying trucks to the depth of Russian lands.
While Ukraine regularly carries out attacks on Russian territory, this attack is the first on this distance far from the front.
The Ukrainian source confirmed that 41 Russian aircraft were damaged, indicating that they were used to strike the Ukrainian cities.
The source attached his remarks to a video, according to the French Press Agency, he said that he shows one of the targeted airports where many planes can be seen burning, with columns of black smoke that escalates from them.
One of the Ukrainian attacks targeted Belia airport in the Irkutsk region, east of Siberia, which is about 4,300 km from Ukraine.
Russian defense confirms targeting
The Russian Ministry of Defense said today, Sunday, that Ukraine carried out a “terrorist attack” using drones against airports in the areas of Mormansk, Aircotsk, Ivanovo, Razan and Things.
The ministry added, in a statement via the “Telegram” application, that it had responded to “all terrorist attacks in military airports in the regions of Ivanovo, Razan and Things.”
And she continued: «In the Mourmansk and Arkutsk regions, and as a result of the launch of drones from the lands located directly to the airports, the fires were caught in several aircraft, and the fires were extinguished.
There were no injuries among the military or civilians, “and confirmed” the arrest of some participants in the terrorist attacks. “
For his part, the governor of the Ikostic region, Igor Copezif, referred to on Sunday to a “an attack” on the village of Sarrideni, adjacent to the Bellaa base. He said, “This is the first similar attack in Siberia,” calling on the residents not to “surrender to panic.”
A video that appeared to be filmed from some residents was released, showing a drone while it was flying and thick smoke cloud from a far place.
The Ukrainian source indicated that the attack also targeted the Olinia airport located in the Arctic region of Russia, about 1900 km from Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the governor of the Mourmansk André Chebis region confirmed that “enemy coaches” were flying in the sky, pointing to the activation of anti -aircraft.
Istanbul negotiations
The wide Ukrainian attack coincided with Zelinski confirming his country’s sending a delegation to Istanbul to hold a new round of direct peace talks with Russia, on Monday.
Zelinski said, in a post on the “Telegram” platform, that the priorities for Ukraine are to reach a “complete and unconditional ceasefire”, in addition to “returning the prisoners” and Ukrainian children who accuse Kiev Moscow of kidnapping them.
On the Russian side, the Sunday delegation went to Istanbul, according to official Russian news agencies, quoting sources that were not determined.
A source told “TASS” that “the negotiating team left for Istanbul.”
The Russian and Ukrainian delegations held a first round of talks in Istanbul on May 16, with the aim of ending the war that erupted in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 22, 2022. But the meeting did not bear fruit on important results, except for the agreement on the largest exchange of prisoners between the two sides.
Despite diplomatic efforts, Ukraine and Russia’s positions are still conflicting. Moscow is in particular demanding that Kiev completely abandon its endeavors to join NATO, and the five Ukrainian regions that announced its annexation.
On the other hand, Kyiv rejects these conditions, and demands a complete withdrawal of the Russian forces from its territory.
Also, Moscow rejects an unconditional ceasefire, which Kiev, Washington and European countries call for.
On Sunday, Ukrainian President reiterated his call to “prepare a meeting at the highest level”, that is, with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.
He previously proposed a similar meeting with Putin, but this was not welcomed by the Kremlin.
