Zelenskyy: Only Ukrainian weapons were used in operation targeting 4 Russian military airfields, drivers were unaware of it
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that only Ukrainian weapons were used in a large-scale operation targeting four Russian military airfields called "Web," and that Russian truck drivers who unknowingly transported materials used in the surprise large-scale strike on Russian military aircraft were unaware of their role.
"They didn't know anything," Zelenskyy said in an interview with ABC News. "They just did their job."
The president emphasized that Ukrainian secret services "used only our weapon[s]" and did not deploy equipment originating in an ally's arsenal.
"I wanted very much to use only what we produce and to have the separation [be] very clear," Zelenskyy said.
As reported, Ukraine's Security Service carried out a large-scale operation targeting four Russian military airfields. The operation reportedly destroyed 41 aircraft, including A-50 radar planes, Tu-95, Tu-22M3, and Tu-160 bombers.
The operation was led by Security Service chief Vasyl Maliuk, who said the planning spanned more than 18 months.
"In total, 34% of Russia's strategic cruise missile carriers at key airbases were disabled," Maliuk said.
He described the operation as logistically complex and conducted simultaneously across three time zones.
"First, Ukraine's Security Service smuggled FPV drones into Russia, followed by mobile wooden structures. Once inside Russian territory, the drones were concealed under the roofs of these structures, which were loaded onto cargo trucks. At the critical moment, the roofs were remotely opened and the drones were launched to strike designated targets – Russian bombers," the Ukrainian intelligence service explained.