Ukrainian drone hits Russian bomber ahead of peace talks: NPR
In this image taken from a video released on June 1, 2025, a source from the Ukrainian security department showed that Ukrainian drones hit Russian aircraft deep in Russian territory.
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Moscow and Kiev – Ukraine attacked Russia on a military air base deep in the heart of Russia on Sunday New Russia – Ukraine ceasefire talk It is scheduled to take place in Istanbul on Monday.
After more than three years of full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the meticulously planned attack aims to hit bombers, launch missiles in Ukrainian cities, celebrating the Ukrainians calling it a “Troy truck” on social media.
Ukraine's security department sneaked the first-person vision of small explosives into trucks that penetrated deep into Russia. The operation was recognized by Ukrainian officials as a much-needed victory.
Vasyl Malyuk, head of Ukrainian Security Services, “The enemy bombarded our country almost every night and today they actually felt revenge was inevitable.” explain In the statement.
These drones – deployed from trucks parked along the highway to near Russian military facilities – were used to hit 41 heavy bomber jets, from Murmansk in the northern part of the Russian Arctic in Siberia in the northern part of the Russian Arctic and Irkutsk, and more than 2,700 miles from the Ukrainian border.
Malyuk said the drones were hidden under the roof of wooden huts on the truck. He said the roofs were opened remotely and the drone flew to Russian bombers.
“As long as Russia terrorizes Ukrainians with missiles and Shah, our strike will continue,” he said.
In this undated photo provided by the Ukrainian security department, Vasyl Malyuk, head of the Security Services Department, studied a photo of a Russian strategic aviation location map in his Ukrainian office.
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In the early stage statement Regarding the operation, formally known as the “spider web”, Ukraine's security department claims it destroyed $7 billion worth of Russian strategic airlines with strikes – about one-third of Russia's strategic cruise missiles
Russian officials downplay the impact
News of the operation was a conversation between Russia and Ukraine.
A video posted online shows the drone taking off from a truck bed parked on the highway while Russian narrators let the slut fly. Another showed a Russian soldier sworn in as the plane burned behind him. one Pro-Creem Military Blogger Recommended As an attack on “Russia Pearl Harbor”.
In his Night video address On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the plan to use 117 drones with a “perfect preparation” operation on the nose of the Russian Security Service next year and a half.
“Our people operate in different parts of Russia in three time zones,” he said. “On the eve of the action, our people were taken out of Russian territory. Those who helped us are safe.”
The Russian Ministry of Defense later A strike on military base confirmed But they played their influence – claiming that “only a few pieces of aviation technology caught fire”.
The ministry also said its troops foiled additional attacks on the other three bases and carried out several arrests, but provided no details. It added that no one was injured in the attack.
Neither Ukraine nor Russia’s claims about causing damage can be independently verified.
Russian train derails
Drones are far from the only violence on weekends.
At least seven people died after a bridge crossed the Bryansk region in western Russia collapsed on Saturday night, and more than 104 were injured, delivering debris and several trucks to the train box below.
Images shared on social media show shocked passengers trying to climb out of the smashed carriage in the dark.
Meanwhile, Russian railway authorities said a separate railway bridge collapsed a few hours later in the nearby Kursk region – derailing the freight train and injuring several crew members.
Russia's investigation committee said it had launched criminal investigations on both incidents against terrorism grounds, but the bridges collapsed due to explosives planting.
In this photo posted by the Russian Ministry of Emergency Press Service Telegraph Channel, emergency workers worked on a damaged bridge in the Russian Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine on Sunday, June 1, 2025.
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still, Several famous Russian politicians Reproaching Ukraine quickly and suggesting that this is enough reason to continue the war.
“Our answer will be such a large buffer to prevent terrorists from infiltration into our territory in the future.” Andrei Klishas wrotea senior member of the Council of the Russian House of Lords Federation.
Although Ukrainian authorities have not commented on any train derailment, Ukrainian military intelligence does confirm Relocation items of Russian military trains were hit in areas occupied by the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine.
Russian drone strike
Russia also launched an attack – more than 470 drones and several missiles were launched on Ukrainian targets, which Ukrainian authorities say was the largest one-day air strike since the war began.
The most deadliest: Ukrainian army explain It was a “missile strike at the location of one of the training units” – killing more than a dozen soldiers and injuring more than 60 people. The loss was rarely confirmed by Ukraine’s military, but the exact location of the training camp was not disclosed, although Zelenskyy said in his evening speech that the Dopitrovvsk region in central Ukraine was central Ukraine.
Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi, commander of the Ukrainian armed forces, resigned after the attack “out of personal responsibility”. “A army that has no one responsible for the loss has died from within.” Write On his Facebook page.
Ukraine also accused the Kremlin of about 50,000 soldiers on the border near Sumy in northeastern Ukraine before a possible summer offensive – even though Kiev and Moscow had been involved in some of their first direct peace talks in three years within three years. Pressure from the Trump administration.
Peace negotiations
Both sides are ready for a weekend of action The second round of negotiations Monday in Istanbul.
The parties are expected to discuss the so-called “memorandum” – essentially a proposal against the terms of a future peace agreement.
writing Zelenskyy said on social media that his talks priorities include a complete and unconditional ceasefire for the release of prisoners, the release of prisoners and the return of the kidnapped children.
President Trump has been a strong advocate of direct negotiations – saying their progress or lack of progress will do a big role in determining the future of the U.S. participation in the Ukrainian conflict.
Even as Trump threatens to impose sanctions on slow negotiations in Moscow, he and his administration have made it clear that they believe Ukraine should accept that it cannot defeat its larger neighbors militarily and make concessions.
However, if Moscow is viewed as a clause that drives negotiations, Moscow political observers believe that Ukraine’s surprise drone operation at least undermines this dynamic.
Moscow analyst Georgi Bovt in a game Post to social media.
Boft reminds Trump Telled Ukrainians They “have no cards right now” to negotiate the favorable end of the war.
“Obviously, they found them,” Boft added.
NPR producer Hanna Palamarenko contributed to this report in Kiev.