Sun Jun 01 16:50:00 UTC 2025: **Summary:**

Ukraine launched a daring drone attack on four Russian military airfields, reportedly damaging or destroying 41 strategic bombers. The attack, orchestrated by the SBU, targeted airfields used by Russia to launch attacks against Ukraine. Russia acknowledged the attacks, but downplayed the extent of the damage. The assault occurred on the eve of scheduled Russia-Ukraine ceasefire talks in Istanbul, for which Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha ‎ early Sunday said Kyiv was still waiting for a promised Russian memorandum on Moscow’s outline of a potential ceasefire framework, which Ukraine is expecting before the talks. Prior to the drone attack, a Russian missile strike killed 12 and injured over 60 at a Ukrainian training ground, and Russia has used drones to kill more than 150 civilians in Kherson, according to the UN. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has confirmed Ukraine’s participation in the upcoming talks, led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, but criticized Russia’s actions as contradictory to its stated interest in peace.

**News Article:**

**Ukraine Strikes Russian Airfields Ahead of Ceasefire Talks**

**KYIV** – In a bold move just hours before scheduled ceasefire negotiations, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) launched a drone assault on four Russian military airfields, allegedly crippling 41 strategic bombers. The Ukrainian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told POLITICO that the attack, dubbed “Pavutyna (Web),” targeted the Belaya, Diaghilev, Olenya, and Ivanovo airfields, which Russia has been using to launch missile and drone attacks on Ukraine.

The SBU official said that to prepare for the operation, called Pavutyna(web), Ukrainian operatives delivered FPV drones to Russia territory along with mobile wooden housings. Later, in the Russian Federation, the drones were hidden under the roofs of housings, already placed on trucks. At the right moment, the roofs of the housings were opened remotely, and the drones flew to strike the Russian bombers, the official said.

Russia’s Defense Ministry confirmed the attacks, but claimed minimal damage, stating that only two airfields suffered damage and that attacks on the others were repelled. They also claimed no personnel were hurt.

The timing of the strikes raises questions about the prospects for the upcoming ceasefire talks in Istanbul, led by Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. Earlier on Sunday, a Russian missile strike on a Ukrainian training ground resulted in 12 deaths and over 60 injuries. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha‎ early Sunday said Kyiv was still waiting for a promised Russian memorandum on Moscow’s outline of a potential ceasefire framework, which Ukraine is expecting before the talks.

President Zelenskyy condemned Russia’s actions, emphasizing the stark contrast between its words of peace and its ongoing aggression.

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