Ukraine has launched an unprecedented large-scale drone operation, dubbed “Spiderweb,” targeting multiple Russian air bases deep inside its territory, just hours before crucial peace talks are set to begin in Istanbul. Ukrainian officials claim the strikes destroyed numerous combat planes, causing billions of dollars in damage in what President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed as an “absolutely unique operation.”

According to the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU), the operation involved 117 drones and marked the most ambitious simultaneous strikes on Russian air bases since the war began over three years ago. An SBU source stated that Russian bombers were “burning en masse” at four air bases located hundreds and even thousands of kilometers apart, extending as far as eastern Siberia. The SBU also indicated that some drones were launched from trucks within Russia itself, with the operation having been planned for over a year and a half.

President Zelensky, speaking on Sunday night, lauded the “brilliant” results of the coordinated attack. He confirmed that one of the targeted locations was even next to an office of Russia’s FSB security services. Despite Russia’s defense ministry confirming that several of its military aircraft “caught fire” with no casualties, Telegram channels close to the Russian military, such as Rybar, called it a “very heavy blow” for Moscow.

The targeted airbases reportedly include Belaya in eastern Siberia, Olenya in the Arctic near Finland, and Ivanovo and Dyagilevo, both east of Moscow. Igor Kobzev, governor of Russia’s Irkutsk region, acknowledged the strike on Belaya as “the first attack of this sort in Siberia” and urged the population not to panic.

This significant escalation comes as Ukraine prepares to send a delegation, led by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, for talks in Istanbul on Monday with Russian officials. The meeting, spurred by US President Donald Trump’s push for a quick resolution, is expected to address prospects for a ceasefire. Zelensky, while previously expressing skepticism about Russia’s sincerity, stated that Ukraine’s priorities include “a complete and unconditional ceasefire” and the return of prisoners and abducted children. Russia, having rejected previous ceasefire requests, has indicated it has formulated its own peace terms, which it has not yet divulged.

Meanwhile, the conflict continues on the ground. On Sunday, Ukraine’s air force reported being hit by a record 472 Russian drones and seven missiles overnight. In a rare admission of losses, the Ukrainian army stated that a Russian missile strike on a training unit killed a dozen soldiers and wounded over 60, leading to the resignation of ground forces commander Mykhailo Drapaty. Russia, on its part, claimed to have captured another village in Ukraine’s northern Sumy region, where Kyiv fears a renewed ground assault.