Ukraine has destroyed 15 aircraft on five Russian airfields, causing $1billion of damage in a devastating long-range drone attack, the country’s military has claimed. The operation also saw ammunition and fuel depots “eliminated” in a major blow for the Kremlin. It was made possible by Ukraine’s security service’s “Alpha” unit, one of its elite special operations units.

Officials say an Su-30SM, Su-34, Su-27 and Su-24 planes were crippled, as well as MiG-31, Mi-28, Mi-26 and Mi-8 helicopters. An An-26 cargo plane was also struck.

The SBU said: “Last year alone, five military airfields were hit by our long-range drones. The result is that the enemy will no longer be able to lift 15 aircraft into the sky.”

It comes after the same Ukrainian unit hit Russian air defence systems worth an estimated $4billion, according to United24 Media.

S-300, S-350 and S-400 launchers, as well as advanced radar systems, were struck.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) noted in its latest report on the conflict that Russian forces conducted a Shahed drone strike against a civilian passenger train in Kharkiv Oblast yesterday, killing at least five people.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a Russian drone strike hit the locomotive near Barvinkove.

He claimed there were over 200 passengers on board, with 18 passengers in the carriage that was struck.

The Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor’s Office reported that the strike killed at least five civilians.

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said Russian forces struck the train with three Shahed drones.

The ISW added: “ISW assesses that Russian forces have been leveraging recent drone adaptations, including equipping drones with artificial intelligence (AI), integrated cameras, and radio control capabilities, to increasingly target moving trains across Ukraine.

“ISW has not observed reports as of this writing confirming that Russian forces used Shaheds with cameras or other adaptations to strike the moving train, but the use of multiple drones suggests that the strike was deliberate.

“Russian strikes causing disproportionate civilian loss of life, civilian injuries, and damage to civilian objects compared to the expected military gain from striking a civilian passenger train carrying a limited number of military personnel are likely a violation of international law.”