### Ukraine's Drone Strikes Devastate Russian Aircraft

An in-depth analysis by experts reveals that Ukraine's drone attacks have resulted in the significant loss of Russian military aircraft. Leveraging new video and satellite imagery, experts concluded that at least 11 Russian bomber aircraft and a large transport plane were either destroyed or significantly damaged during a drone assault by Ukraine.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) released detailed videos on Wednesday, shedding light on the scale of the attack, which had previously been ambiguous. The Ukrainian government asserted that over 40 aircraft were destroyed during attacks on four air bases on Monday. However, reports from two United States officials indicated that the actual number might be closer to 10 aircraft destroyed, with about 20 targeted overall.

The video footage from the SBU starts with a view of Olenya air base. Drones are shown landing on Tu-95 and Tu-22 bombers, as well as an An-12 transport plane, with subsequent explosions and aircraft fires clearly visible. According to Janes, a defense intelligence firm, satellite images confirm that four Tu-95 bombers and an An-12 transport plane were destroyed at Olenya.

However, analysts from the intelligence firm MAIAR provided a different perspective, indicating no substantial damage at the base. Their satellite imagery analysis revealed that eight A-50 aircraft remained untouched at Olenya.

Further examination of the video showed two A-50 planes at Russia's Ivanovo air base. The footage then transitions to Russia's Dyagilevo air base, where drones reportedly landed on or near large aircraft. Janes and MAIAR both noted ground scarring, which suggests possible drone activity, though no visible aircraft damage was confirmed.

Open-source intelligence analyst Brady Africk identified a damaged Tu-22 bomber at Dyagilevo, supporting the SBU's video evidence. Wrapping up the video, the SBU presented clips from Belaya air base, where multiple plumes of smoke and fires were indicated. Janes and MAIAR analyses confirmed the destruction of three Tu-95 and four Tu-22 bombers at Belaya, highlighting evidence of ground scarring and burnt grass visible in satellite images.

The Tu-95 and Tu-22 bombers, as mentioned by Africk, have been instrumental in conducting long-range strikes on Ukraine.