Ukraine Strikes Russian Airfields in Five Regions Using Kamikaze Drones

Ukraine launched a large-scale coordinated drone attack targeting military airfields across five Russian regions, including Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur, marking a significant escalation in the conflict. The operation, codenamed 'Spiderweb' by Ukraine's Security Service (SSU), reportedly damaged dozens of Russian strategic aircraft, with an estimated value of $7 billion, striking about 34% of Russia's strategic cruise missile carriers. The attacks employed first-person view kamikaze drones, some launched from areas near the airfields, resulting in some aircraft fires but no reported casualties. Russia's Defense Ministry condemned the strikes as "terrorist attacks" and stated that some attackers were detained, while Ukrainian officials highlighted the operation as a demonstration of enhanced combat capability. These strikes occurred just before a scheduled second round of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, underscoring ongoing tensions despite diplomatic efforts. Ukraine carried out the operation without prior notification to the US, reflecting a bold tactical move in the ongoing conflict.