Smoke rises after a drone strike on a Russian military unit in the village of Sredny, Usolsky district, Irkutsk region, Siberia. Photo: Reuters
Ukraine has carried out a major drone strike on four military bases in Russia's Siberia region, damaging more than 40 Russian warplanes, a Ukrainian security official said

The drone strikes by Ukraine, thousands of kilometers from its own territory, have not been independently verified. However, the drones were not launched from Ukraine. Instead, they were reportedly launched from areas around the targeted Russian military base.
The damage caused by the attacks has not been independently verified. However, if Kiev's claims are true, it would be the most destructive drone strike inside Ukraine since the war began three years ago. Analysts are seeing the attack as a provocation ahead of scheduled peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul, Turkey, on Monday. 

"Ukrainian security forces are carrying out a major special operation aimed at attacking enemy bases far from the frontline," the Ukrainian security official told AFP, adding that the target, Belaya airbase in Siberia, was on fire.

The Ukrainian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the strikes were carried out by Ukraine's internal security service (SBU). Four Russian military airbases were hit simultaneously.