"A completely brilliant result. A result achieved by Ukraine on its own. One year, six months, and nine days from planning to effective implementation," writes Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyj on X on Sunday evening.
He states in a separate statement that 117 drones and as many drone pilots were used in the operation. 34 percent of Russia's strategic bombers at the attacked bases are said to have been destroyed.
The value of the destroyed planes is estimated at seven billion dollars, equivalent to 67 billion Swedish kronor, according to the SBU.
"To the history books"
Zelenskyj, who personally oversaw the planning and implementation, writes that it is Ukraine's most "long-distance operation" so far. All Ukrainians involved in the preparations managed to "withdraw from Russian territory in time".
"Of course, not everything can be revealed right now, but these are Ukrainian actions that will undoubtedly go into the history books," he writes.
"Ukraine is defending itself, and rightly so – we are doing everything to make Russia feel that the war must end. Russia started the war, Russia must end it."
Among the targets are the airbases Belaja in eastern Siberia, approximately 4,300 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, and Olenja on the Kola Peninsula, 1,900 kilometers away.
The SBU has released video clips showing explosions and smoke along a row of parked aircraft.
Russia's Defense Ministry confirms in a statement that airfields in the regions of Murmansk and Irkutsk were attacked by drones, and that attacks in three other regions were repelled.
"Several aircraft caught fire" after drones were sent up "from areas near the airfields," the ministry writes, according to AFP.
Several people have been arrested, according to the Russian statement.
Smuggled into Russia
The SBU states that at least 41 planes were hit in what is referred to as Operation "Spider Web".
The drones were smuggled into Russia hidden on trucks, according to information from the SBU to AP and AFP.
They were then hidden in Russia under the roofs of portable wooden cottages. Then, before the attacks, the roofs – were opened remotely and the drones were sent towards their targets.
According to the SBU, the large bomber type Tu-95 is among those attacked, as well as the strategic supersonic bomber Tu-22M, and the radar and signals reconnaissance aircraft Beriev A-50.
