• Ukraine conducted a drone attack on five Russian airbases, reportedly destroying over 40 military aircraft.
• The attack represents a strategic move by Ukraine ahead of peace talks in Istanbul.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy monitored the attack, which involved extensive planning over the past 18 months.
• Russian defense authorities confirmed that several planes "caught fire" due to the strikes, but denied any fatalities.
• The coordination and effectiveness of the strikes have raised questions about Russian intelligence and defense preparedness.

On Sunday, Ukrainian drones targeted five Russian airbases, causing substantial damage and claiming to have destroyed over 40 military aircraft, including key bombers such as the Tu-95 and Tu-22. The Russian defense ministry confirmed that aircraft "caught fire" at military airfields in the Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur regions; however, it reported no casualties from the strikes, which marked a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict. The Ukrainian operation was described as one of the most extensive to date, with drone launches reportedly conducted from locations close to these airfields, according to Indiatimes and Channel News Asia.

Ukrainian officials claimed that the strike was a coordinated effort supported by detailed planning over 18 months, with President Zelenskyy overseeing the operation. Reports indicated that drones were concealed in transportation containers and launched from trucks positioned near the airbases. The Ukrainian security service (SBU) stated that the attack was aimed at removing Russian bombers used for bombing Ukrainian territory and asserted that the damage inflicted was close to $7 billion, according to Indiatimes and Dawn.

Coinciding with the drone attack, a Ukrainian delegation was preparing to meet with Russian representatives in Istanbul for peace talks, highlighting the timing of the military offensive as a demonstration of strength ahead of negotiations. President Zelenskyy expressed his commitment to negotiating a "complete and unconditional ceasefire," while Russian officials maintained that they would not reveal their conditions before the meeting, according to CBS News and Channel News Asia.

In response to the Ukrainian attack, Russian authorities have strengthened their air defense claims, asserting that they have intercepted hundreds of Ukrainian-launched drones over the past 24 hours. The Russian ministry reported that at least 472 drones and additional missiles targeted Ukrainian positions in retaliation, as tensions remain high amid escalating hostilities. Observers interpret this as signaling a potential shift in the dynamics of the conflict, especially in light of substantial Ukrainian military advancements in recent weeks, as per details from Dawn and Channel News Asia.