More than 40 military aircraft were hit in what is being described as “Russia’s Pearl Harbor”. The risk of all-out war cannot be ruled out if NATO or European countries are involved in this operation.
On Sunday June 1, Ukraine carried out a vast drone operation against several Russian air bases located thousands of kilometers from its borders. This large-scale attack affected more than 40 military aircraft, marking a significant escalation in the conflict.
A large-scale operation
According to a source in the Ukrainian security services (SBU) quoted by AFP, this was a “large-scale special operation aimed at destroying enemy bombers”. The attack caused a fire at the Belaya airfield in the Irkutsk region of eastern Siberia, more than 4,200 kilometers from Ukraine.
The Olenya air base, near Murmansk in north-west Russia, was also bombed. These facilities are home to strategic bombers that Russia regularly uses to launch missiles against Ukrainian civilian areas.
A “Russian Pearl Harbor
Geopolitical analyst Louis Duclos describes the operation as “enormous for Ukraine and catastrophic for Russia”, drawing a parallel with the Pearl Harbor attack of 1941. He stresses the strategic importance of these bombers, of which Russia does not have an unlimited number.
Sophisticated tactics
Videos posted on social networks reveal that the drones were hidden in containers and trucks. According to the Russian Telegram channel Baza, the drivers were not informed of the presence of these drones in their vehicles. Several of them were arrested.
This offensive marks a new stage in Ukraine’s ability to strike deep into Russian territory, directly targeting the means used to bomb its own cities.
The question now is to what extent NATO forces were involved in these raids, and what the scale of Russia’s response will be. The Kremlin may consider that these attacks were coordinated by several European countries. The risk of all-out war cannot be ruled out.
Jesus Christ
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has just struck over 40 aircraft at the Olenya airbase, including A-50s, Tu-95MS, and Tu-22 bombers. pic.twitter.com/RmcHZ6sJIg— Saint Javelin (@saintjavelin) June 1, 2025
🇷🇺🇺🇦L’Ukraine est en train de faire un strike massif sur les bases aériennes russes !
D’après le Kyiv Independent, plus de 40 aéronefs ont été frappés. Dans cette vidéo, ce sont des bombardiers stratégiques qui sont détruits.
C’est une opération énorme pour l’Ukraine et… pic.twitter.com/i6H7tETAfd
— Louis Duclos (@ObsDelphi) June 1, 2025
L’Ukraine attaque la Russie = guerre totale et course vers l’abîme de l’Ukraine et de l’OTAN.
La Russie attaque l’Ukraine = ça joue ! pic.twitter.com/81HeU4sPZ4— Michel Goya (@Michel_Goya) June 1, 2025
⚡️ : L’Ukraine vient d’attaquer plusieurs bases aériennes russes en détruisant plusieurs bombardiers stratégiques russes. La base de Belaya situé tout près de la Mongolie a été visé. #Ukraine #Russie pic.twitter.com/UUmbAaHdBk
— Infos Minutes (@InfosMinutesFR) June 1, 2025
🔴 L’Ukraine mène une opération “d’ampleur” contre l’aviation militaire en Russie, et a notamment touché une base en Sibérie orientale à des milliers de kilomètres de ses frontières
▶️ @stanislas_poyet pic.twitter.com/hpL25CgrMa
— LCI (@LCI) June 1, 2025
