The Voice News: MOSCOW – In a bold escalation of the conflict, Ukraine launched a long-range drone attack on Sunday, targeting Russian strategic bombers stationed at a military base in Siberia—over 4,300 kilometers from the front lines. The strike marks one of the deepest known penetrations into Russian territory since the start of the war, according to pro-Russian military bloggers.
Unverified footage circulating online shows massive fires engulfing aircraft at the Belaya airbase, located north of Irkutsk in eastern Siberia. The aircraft reportedly targeted include the Tupolev Tu-95 and Tu-22M bombers, which are capable of delivering nuclear payloads and are frequently used by Russia to launch long-range missile strikes on Ukraine.
A Ukrainian intelligence official, speaking anonymously to Reuters in Kyiv, confirmed that the country’s domestic intelligence agency, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), executed the coordinated drone assault. The official claimed that more than 40 Russian military aircraft were targeted in the operation.
Igor Kobzev, the governor of Irkutsk, acknowledged a drone attack on a military facility near the village of Sredny in the Usolsky district. While he did not confirm the involvement of strategic bombers, he posted video footage on Telegram showing drones buzzing overhead and thick plumes of black smoke rising skyward. He added that the drones appeared to have been launched from a mobile platform, possibly a truck, and described the strike as the first of its kind in that region of Siberia. The number of drones used remains unknown.
According to publicly available military data, the Belaya (Sredny) airbase hosts Tu-22M supersonic bombers, a key component of Russia’s long-range nuclear strike capability.
Meanwhile, local authorities in Russia’s far north also reported another Ukrainian drone attack on the Murmansk region, which is home to the Olenya airbase, another hub for Russian strategic aviation.
The extent of the damage from these drone strikes remains unverified, and the Russian Ministry of Defence has yet to issue a comprehensive statement.
If confirmed, the attacks could represent a significant shift in Ukraine’s ability to project force far beyond the immediate war zone, potentially challenging Russia’s sense of strategic depth and security.
