September 8, 2024: A Ukrainian intelligence operation carried out a surprise attack on a Russian air base near the Arctic Circle. This is 1,800 kilometers from Ukraine and was apparently carried out by Ukrainian operatives who, pretending to be Russian truck drivers, transported the drones to northwest Russia. This is a heavily forested area that is sparsely populated. It is also where several Russian naval and air bases are located. The Ukrainians attacked the air bases and the long-range Russian bombers that operated out of these bases for attacks on Ukraine. Russia believed these bases were safe because they were so far from Ukraine and had about a dozen Tu-95MS, Tu-22M3, and Tu-160 long-range bombers. These bombers fly to the Ukraine border, launch air-to-ground missiles and return to their base in the north.

The Ukrainian attack put several Russian bombers out of action. The Russians were mystified and the Ukrainians would only say that they did it without supplying any details. Given the geography of the situation, it was deduced that the Ukrainians transported the attack drones to northwest Russia and launched them from there. Because the Ukrainian and Russian languages are so similar, it is easy for Ukrainian intelligence to recruit Russian speaking Ukrainians to carry out this mission. Western economic sanctions and the usual lousy Russian maintenance practices have caused the Russian railroads to fall into such disrepair that they are no longer able to move much cargo. That means more work for commercial truckers and their vehicles, which can be smuggled in from China and Central Asia. Russian security forces have much else to do and don’t spend much time monitoring who is doing what with trucks.

The attack up north caused Russia to cancel an event in the Baltic Sea city of St Petersburg where two nuclear powered submarines and two surface ships were on display for the public to admire. These four navy vessels were withdrawn from the event and moved to an undisclosed location.