TWO OF VLADIMIR PUTIN'S AIRFIELDS - ONE IN THE ARCTIC AND THE OTHER IN SIBERIA - HAVE BEEN ATTACKED, WITH DOZENS OF MOSCOW'S NUCLEAR CAPABLE WARPLANES DESTROYED IN DRAMATIC FOOTAGE

15:59, 01 Jun 2025Updated 16:13, 01 Jun 2025 Two major Russian airfields for Vladimir Putin's nuclear strike warplanes are said to have gone up in flames following a reported attack by

Ukraine. Both airfields, one in the Arctic and the other in Siberia, are thousands of miles from Ukraine but were "under drone attack" - with dozens of Moscow's nuclear

capable warplanes destroyed. The attack - with drones possibly released from trucks near the bases - appears one of the most sensational of the entire war and the darkest day for Putin.

some 2,900 miles from Ukraine - was also ablaze. Ukraine's SBU secret service was reportedly conducting a large-scale special operation to destroy Russian bombers. The Ukrainian media

claimed more than 40 Putin aircraft had been hit, including Tu-95, Tu-22M3, and A-50 strategic bombers. The damage to the enemy was alleged to exceed £1.5 billion. A driver of a truck filled

with drones that attacked Olenegorsk in Murmansk "may not have known about the cargo," said a report. Article continues below According to Baza media, the driver has been

detained. "A truck stopped at a gas station at the entrance to the city….drones started flying out of the back of the truck and then attacked various objects," said the report. A

similar account was heard from Siberia, but there are no official comments yet. Ukraine's Pravda Gerashchenko Telegram channel said: "A special operation 'Web' is being

conducted to demilitarise Russia. The [SBU] report the destruction of Russian bomber aircraft behind enemy lines. In particular, the destruction of more than 40 aircraft, including A-50,

Tu-95 and Tu-22M3." Reports emanating from Ukraine said two other major military air bases had been hit - in Ryazan and Ivanovo regions. Planes at Dyagilevo air base in Ryazan were

reported ablaze, as seen on new footage. Unconfirmed reports also indicated further strikes at Russia's nuclear submarine base Severomorsk in the Arctic, headquarters of the Northern

Fleet. Footage appeared to show black smoke at the scene on the Kola Peninsula following explosions at the secret base. It was unclear what had been hit. Russian war-channels immediately

began calling for Putin to respond by using nuclear weapons. "Disabling strategic aircraft gives Russia the right to use nuclear weapons," declared Vladislav Pozdnyakov, a war

expert. "Let me remind you." The country's nuclear doctrine allows for a nuclear response in the event of an attack on "critical government or military

infrastructure". In particular, "an enemy attack that disrupts the operation of nuclear forces, threatening Russia's ability to respond" could lead to Putin ordering an

atomic strike. Article continues below The strike comes ahead of peace talks tomorrow due in Istanbul. Rybar war channel in Russia said: "The attack was carried out by FPV drones that

were launched from vans that arrived at the facilities. Control was conducted through repeaters installed there via satellite communications. "As we have previously said, the Tu-95 and

Tu-22 strategic aircraft have long been taken out of production, and there is nothing to restore them. Accordingly, these losses cannot be recovered. This is without understatement a very

serious damage to the strategic component, caused both by serious miscalculations in the work of intelligence services, and negligent attitude to aircraft, which even after all the attacks

stood in the open field without shelter."