Ukraine Destroys 40 Russian Warplanes in Major Drone Strike

In a stunning escalation just days before critical peace talks, Ukraine claims it destroyed over 40 Russian military aircraft in a deep-strike drone offensive inside Russian territory the most devastating airfield attack of the war to date.

According to Ukrainian officials, the strikes were planned over a year in advance and personally overseen by President Volodymyr Zelensky. The attack targeted key Russian airbases, including the Belaya airfield in Irkutsk, using drones that had been smuggled into Russia inside truck containers a bold move that marks a dramatic shift in Ukraine’s tactics.

A senior Ukrainian security source told the Associated Press the operation’s goal was to cripple Russia’s aerial superiority and undermine its offensive capabilities ahead of negotiations in Istanbul.

Russia responded in kind, launching a massive assault involving 472 drones and multiple missile strikes, reportedly killing at least 12 Ukrainian service members and wounding over 60 more, according to Ukraine’s Air Force.

The timing of these attacks just ahead of Monday’s peace negotiations in Turkey has dramatically raised the stakes. On social media, Zelensky reiterated his three demands going into the talks:

1. A full and unconditional ceasefire

2. The release of all prisoners

3. The return of abducted Ukrainian children

He added, “The key issues can only be resolved by the leaders.”

But while Kyiv hails its attack as a strategic win, Russia accuses Ukraine of undermining peace. Russian state-run outlet TASS quoted envoy Rodion Miroshnik accusing Kyiv of deliberately “destabilizing the situation.”

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump weighed in forcefully, criticizing both sides and emphasizing that this war would never have started under his watch.

“I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY!... If he [takes] all of Ukraine, it will lead to the downfall of Russia!” Trump posted on Truth Social.

Trump didn’t spare Zelensky either:

“Zelenskyy is doing his Country no favors by talking the way he does... This is a War that would never have started if I were President. This is Zelenskyy’s, Putin’s, and Biden’s War not ‘Trump’s.’”

And he’s right. This war has dragged on for years, with American taxpayers footing the bill for a never-ending conflict that escalates week after week, all while Biden’s foreign policy continues to empower instability and weaken U.S. global leadership.

Now, Ukraine’s high-risk drone campaign may tip the military balance temporarily but it also threatens to derail any hope for peace. And as the world watches Istanbul, Trump’s warnings ring louder than ever: this war needs real leadership, not reckless brinkmanship.

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