A recent Ukrainian drone strike on Russian air bases has sparked concern among Kremlin officials over the vulnerability of their nuclear-capable air force, according to a Bloomberg report. The attack, which targeted bases at Belaya, Diaghilev, Olenya, and Ivanovo, is claimed to have hit 41 aircraft, including Tu-95 and Tu-22 bombers.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) carried out the operation “Spiderweb,” with drones hidden in trucks across Russia. The strike is said to have caused approximately $7 billion in damage and disabled one-third of Russia’s cruise missile bombers.
A source close to the Kremlin told Bloomberg that only a small number of Russian bombers are required for strikes against Ukraine, meaning the pace of missile and bombing attacks is unlikely to slow.
Separately, a poll by the independent Russian pollster Levada Center has found that a record number of Russians support peace talks and an end to the war in Ukraine. Some 64% of respondents favored peace talks, representing a 6% increase since March.
The news comes after the second round of direct peace talks between Ukraine and Russia occurred in Istanbul, where the parties agreed on a new prisoner exchange, as well as the repatriation of 6,000 bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers. However, no agreement on a ceasefire was reached.
The poll also found that a majority of respondents (73%) believe that Russia and Ukraine should address the hostilities’ root causes and only then agree on a ceasefire.
