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Dramatic new footage has been released showing kamikaze drone pilots’ views of Ukraine’s most audacious attack against Russia to date.
Around a third of Russia’s air force was wiped out simultaneously in the attack, co-ordinated from thousands of miles away over the weekend.
The latest footage gives a view from the perspective of the drone operators as they homed in on their targets.
Each clip shows the devices flying across runways deep in enemy territory then cuts out at the moment of impact, hitting bombers that can carry cruise missiles and a spy plane.
It is believed that at least 40 jets were destroyed, costing around £5 billion.
Sunday’s operation – nicknamed Operation Spider’s Web – has angered Vladimir Putin who told Donald Trump in a 75-minute phone call on Wednesday that Russia ‘will have to respond to the recent attack’.
Already, he has carried out a fresh wave of missile attacks against Ukrainian cities.
The newest footage was released at the same time that Putin held a video conference with other senior officials – his first public appearance since his air force was hit.
Some commentators have described the operation as Russia’s Pearl Harbour and the country’s ‘blackest day in aviation’.
Satellite imagery released over the last couple of days has also confirmed the scale of the destruction meted against Russia.
The images show the burned out carcasses of the fighter jets at Diaghilev, Ivanovo, Olenya and Belaya air bases.
These bases are home to military jets, thousands of miles away from Ukraine outside the country’s normal striking capabilities.
It is believed that Sunday’s events were effectively a Trojan Horse attack, co-ordinated by Ukrainian national Artem Tymofieiev, 37, who had lived in Russia for several years.
The former clothes merchant and part-time DJ operated a haulage firm and he is believed to have used his lorries to transport the drones to the air bases.
The unsuspecting drivers received a call telling them where to stop with their cargo and the drones were then unleashed, causing devastation to the Russian fleet of military jets.
A day later, Ukraine carried out another similar operation that had been months in the planning.
They detonated over a tonne of underwater explosives next to a pillar of a bridge linking Russia to Crime.
The bridge was closed for a short time, but the tactic shows Ukraine’s growing momentum for resistance-style attacks against Russia.
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