Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Brazen drone strike showcases Ukrainian innovation as war grinds on
The Washington Post ^ | June 2, 2025 1:15 p.m. EDT | Siobhán O'Grady , Francesca Ebel , Serhiy Morgunov and Alex Horton

Posted on 06/02/2025 12:31:27 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum

KYIV — For 18 months, Ukraine’s internal security service planned an audacious assault on far-flung Russian airfields — first sneaking drones into Russia, then planting them near key military runways.

On Sunday, just ahead of a new round of peace talks, it was go time: Near four unsuspecting Russian military bases, remotely activated roofs lifted off mobile homes and sheds parked on flatbed trucks. Armed Ukrainian drones tucked inside soared upward, then pounced on military aircraft lined up on the runways, engulfing many in flames.

The brazen attack — which Ukrainian officials claimed destroyed at least 13 Russian aircraft and damaged dozens of others — shocked Russia and instantly reduced its capabilities to threaten nuclear attack or launch missile strikes on Ukraine and other countries. It also served as a crucial reminder to Moscow and Ukraine’s Western partners that Kyiv remains capable of exploiting Russia’s weaknesses and disrupting its war plans, despite being outnumbered and outgunned.

Ukraine said the damaged or destroyed planes, some of which were nuclear-capable, included A-50, Tu-95, Tu-22 M3 and Tu-160 models — planes Kyiv said Russia had used nearly every night to bomb Ukraine.

Follow World news

Many details of how the attack was planned are still not public, and it was not immediately clear how many of the Russian planes were operational at the time they were targeted.

But the swift, angry reactions in Russia confirmed that Ukraine had exploited — to devastating effect — an obvious vulnerability: essential and expensive aircraft left out in the open but believed safe because they were deep inside the country. The operation also marked the latest example of drone technology redefining modern warfare.

Western analysts said the strikes will hinder Russia’s ability to launch cruise missiles into Ukraine and could force Russian commanders to shift significant resources...

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: russiansuicide; russiantrollfarm; vladtheimploder; zeepersorgasmic; zeepersoverjoyed; zeepersthrilled; zeepwarmustcontinue
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-44 last
To: CatHerd
Now post a picture of American soldiers alongside Japanese soldiers. Are you going to claim the Japanese soldiers are shorter and more slightly built because the Japanese government is starving them?

Don't have any images of Japanese soldiers, but: The image I posted is of a U.S. soldier, a N. Korean soldier, and a SOUTH Korean soldier, all standing side-by-side.

Placing North and South Korean soldiers side-by-side is surely more convincing / a better comparison than inserting a Japanese soldier.

You seem to be grasping at straws, willing to entertain the most-absurd notions, all in an attempt to defend your precious North Korean dictatorship.

North Korean soldiers are not born into the uniform; rather, they spend their bleak childhoods gleaning the fields for individual grains of barley and consuming "soup" their mothers made for them from stripped bark. The degeneration of the health of the N. Korean populace is now a matter of generational malnourishment. Long before any given "grunt" dons his uniform, he has already been subjected to severe detrimental environmental pressures. Like with crack-babies, it begins in utero, after which almost no therapeutic countermeasures are effective.

The fact that N. Korean troops might then be fed at somewhat-about-subsistence levels cannot undue decades of malnourishment.

But sure: Go on! My posting was just a "silly stunt," and I'll go to "absurd lengths to avoid learning anything."

Real Grownups learn, adapt, even change their minds.

Let's see you prove yourself a "real grown-up!"

Naw, didn't think so...

Regards,

41 posted on 06/03/2025 1:07:28 AM PDT by alexander_busek (Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: alexander_busek
 
 
Maybe English isn't your first language and it effects your reading comprehension as well as skills at literary composition, but I post what I want, where I want, in any form I want - don't need any passive-aggressive advice from anyone about how to do it.
 
But let's not muddy the waters and/or imply that Ukraine is somehow the "bad guy" here for making use of an innovative tactic to defend their homeland.
 
Where the hell did you conjure up such an intent on my part from - maybe it's lost in the Google translation. I have total concern about threat matrix activities in my hemisphere - that's what I was writing about. From the reports I read you have plenty of jihad to contend with at your coordinates, so stay in your own lane wiener schnitzel.
 
 

42 posted on 06/08/2025 1:56:28 PM PDT by lapsus calami (What's that stink? Code Pink ! ! And their buddy Murtha, too!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 39 | View Replies]

To: lapsus calami
Maybe English isn't your first language and it effects affects your reading comprehension as well as skills at literary composition [...]

No, my reading comprehension and literary composition skills are just fine, thank you!

[...] but I post what I want, where I want, in any form I want [...]

Do you accord that same right to the other members of this forum?

Regards,

43 posted on 06/08/2025 10:54:12 PM PDT by alexander_busek (Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: alexander_busek
 
 
Reading is fundamental - I just told you I don't care about what you want or your Euro war whining.
 
Stay in your lane schicklgruber.
 
 

44 posted on 06/09/2025 3:33:37 PM PDT by lapsus calami (What's that stink? Code Pink ! ! And their buddy Murtha, too!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-44 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson