Russian planes on fire after drone strikes – DW – 06/01/2025

Kyiv reported a record breaking number of Russian missile and drone attacks on Sunday, saying Russia launched 472 drones and seven missiles overnight.

Ukraine admitted a Russian missile hit “the location of one of the training units,” killing at least 12 Ukrainian troops and wounding over 60 others.

Most of the soldiers who lost their lives are said to have been in shelters during the attack.

Ukrainian ground forces commander Mykhailo Drapaty resigned following the incident, saying he felt “responsibility” for the deaths.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said Ukraine had launched drone strikes targeting airfields across five regions.

“In the Murmansk and Irkutsk regions, the launch of FPV drones from an area in close proximity to airfields resulted in several aircraft catching fire,” the ministry said.

Russia said most of the attacks were repelled.

Ukraine’s SBU intelligence agency said it was behind the attacks on Russian planes which it said caused $7 billion (€6.17 billion) in damage.

“This is the estimated cost of the enemy’s strategic aviation, which was hit today as a result of the SBU’s special operation,” they said in an online post.

A passenger train derailed following a bridge blast in Bryansk region, with at least seven dead and scores injured, Russian authorities said.

A freight train also derailed hours later following another bridge collapse in Kursk, with no casualties reported. Russian officials said both bridges were blown up, with its investigators classifying the incidents as “acts of terrorism.”

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There are unconfirmed reports this Sunday that a Ukrainian drone strike has destroyed more than 40 Russian aircraft.

Ukraine’s domestic intelligence service is claiming responsbility for the attacks, saying they caused billions of dollars in damages.  Meanwhile, Moscow said drone strikes caused “several aircraft” to catch fire.

Also, a senior Ukrainian military commander quit on Sunday after a Russian attack overnight killed a dozen soldiers on training.

The hostilities come on the eve of a fresh push for peace negotiations in Istanbul, with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying his defense minister will be leading the delegation.

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