Pakistan, June 2 -- In a dramatic escalation of the war, Ukraine destroyed more than 40 Russian military aircraft in a drone strike deep inside Russian territory. According to a Ukrainian security official, the attack targeted bombers stationed at multiple airfields, including the Belaya air base in the Irkutsk region, over 4,000 kilometers from Ukraine. The official said the operation took over 18 months to prepare and was personally overseen by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The drones used in the attack were transported inside truck containers and launched from within Russian territory, making the strike even more surprising. Local Russian officials confirmed drone activity in the Irkutsk, Ryazan, and Murmansk regions but pr...