Zelensky salutes drone attack on Russia: ‘Absolutely brilliant result’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday touted the “absolutely brilliant result” of the large-scale drone attack on Russian strategic bombers.

“Head of the Security Service of Ukraine Vasyl Maliuk delivered a report regarding today’s operation. An absolutely brilliant result,” Zelensky said in an afternoon post on X.

“A result achieved solely by Ukraine. One year, six months, and nine days from the start of planning to effective execution. Our most long-range operation,” he continued.

A military official told The Associated Press that the drones hit 41 planes stationed at military airfields on Sunday afternoon, including A-50, Tu-95 and Tu-22M aircraft.

Moscow has previously used Tupolev Tu-95 and Tu-22 long-range bombers to launch missiles at Ukraine, while A-50s are used to coordinate targets and detect air defenses and guided missiles, the AP reported.

The military source said the complex attack included smuggling of first-person view drones into Russia, where they were then placed in mobile wooden houses.

“Later, drones were hidden under the roofs of these houses while already placed on trucks. At the right moment, the roofs of the houses were remotely opened, and the drones flew to hit Russian bombers,” the official told the AP, speaking on condition of anonymity to disclose details of the military operation.

Zelensky said Ukrainian officials involved in planning of the operation were withdrawn from Russia with enough time to spare.

“Of course, not everything can be revealed at this moment, but these are Ukrainian actions that will undoubtedly be in history books,” Zelensky added in his post.

“Ukraine is defending itself, and rightly so — we are doing everything to make Russia feel the need to end this war. Russia started this war, Russia must end it. Glory to Ukraine!” he continued.

The attack comes a day ahead of the next scheduled ceasefire talks in Turkey with Russia. Reuters reported on Sunday that it had obtained a copy of Ukraine’s demands in the talks, which include “full and unconditional ceasefire” and not making Kyiv stay diplomatically neutral, among other issues.