Ukraine Launches Massive Drone Barrage on Russian Airbases Amid Istanbul Talks

Shortly before Russian and Ukrainian negotiators gathered in Istanbul on Monday for long-awaited peace discussions, Ukraine opened its most extensive drone campaign of the war, striking multiple military airfields deep inside Russia.

The timing and scale of the assault — reaching more than 4,000 km beyond the front lines — risk further complicating diplomatic efforts.

Russian officials said 117 drones were launched overnight, hitting or attempting to hit bases in the Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan and Amur regions. Moscow claims air-defence systems intercepted most of the drones, but admitted fires broke out at airfields in Murmansk and Irkutsk after first-person-view (FPV) drones were launched from sites “in close proximity” to the runways. No casualties were reported, and several people allegedly connected to the operation were detained.

Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the strike as “absolutely brilliant,” saying it inflicted “very tangible losses” on Russia’s strategic aviation.

By striking targets thousands of kilometres inside Russia just hours before talks in Istanbul, Kyiv has injected fresh tension into an already fragile negotiating environment. Russian officials have not signalled that the drone attacks will derail the meetings, yet analysts warn the barrage could make compromise harder to achieve.

Even some Western observers noted that launching a high-profile offensive on the eve of peace talks risks being viewed as provocative, offering hard-liners in Moscow fresh ammunition to question negotiations.