Ukrainian drones have wiped out 15 of Putin’s military aircrafts on Russian airfield deep behind the front lines.
Dramatic footage showed drones successfully striking the planes across five different military airfields.
Ukraine’s spy service, the SBU, claimed to have taken out 11 Sukhoi and MiG fighter jets, three helicopters and an Antonov An-26 cargo plane.
It said that these aircraft were worth more than $1billion. The SBU said its top Alpha unit was behind the strikes.
Su-30SM and Su-34 jets, some of the Kremlin’s most important frontline planes, were destroyed alongside older Su-27 and Su-24 planes, which are used to hit Ukraine. Ukraine also destroyed MiG-31 interceptors.
These are a key part of Russia’s air defence system, and are often used to launch hypersonic Kinzhal missiles.
The three choppers – a Mi-8, a Mi-26 and a Mi-28 – will have hurt Russia’s transport and logistics capabilities.
The SBU added that fuel and ammo depots were also destroyed in the operation.
The strikes come just weeks after the same Alpha unit destroyed or disabled an estimated $4billion worth of Russian air defence systems.
Missile launchers including the S-300, S-350 and S-400, as well as advanced radar systems were hit.
A senior Ukrainian lawmaker however maintained today that life will be particularly tough for Ukrainians over the next three weeks due to plunging temperatures and intense Russian attacks on the energy system that have already deprived millions of light and heat.
