Ukraine’s intelligence directorate reportedly executed a drone strike on Russia’s Olenya airfield in Murmansk, targeting a strategic bomber. The attack, carried out on Saturday, is being hailed as one of the most impressive strikes on Russian territory. Ukrainian and international media sources have confirmed the strike, which involved flying drones over 1,100 miles.
The primary target of the drone strike was a Tupolev Tu-22M3 supersonic long-range missile carrier. The aircraft is stationed at the Olenya airfield, a crucial base for Russia’s “strategic aviation.” Although the Russian government has not commented on the incident, and the Ukrainian military has provided no further details, the attack is part of a Ukrainian operation that included drone strikes on other air bases and an oil refinery.
This 1,100-mile raid surpasses Ukraine’s previous distance record of 800 miles set in May, when a drone struck an oil refinery in Salavat. While the exact type of drone used in the Olenya raid remains unclear, Ukraine’s intelligence directorate has a growing arsenal of locally made drones capable of reaching significant distances.
Olenya airfield, located in the Arctic on the Kola Peninsula, is a key base for Russian Tu-22M3 bombers. The bombers have been used to attack civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, including a recent strike on a children’s hospital in Kyiv.
In response to the drone strikes, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised his military’s efforts, emphasizing that each destroyed Russian aircraft saves Ukrainian lives.
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