Humiliation for Putin as £37m jets destroyed in strike before vengeful tyrant kills two in blitz on Ukraine tower block
UKRAINE has successfully blitzed a pair of Russia's prized Su-34 fighter jets - costing a humiliated Vladimir Putin £74million.
Russia's despot hit back with a terrifying revenge strike which killed a married couple in a deadly attack on a Ukrainian tower block.
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The twisted tyrant decimated a 21-storey residential block in Odesa and left it up in flames as 14 others, including a child as young as 3, were rescued and rushed to hospital.
Two other children were also among the wounded in the overnight attack, regional Governor Oleh Kiper said.
Russia has drastically increased its drone and missile strikes on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks amid growing issues around securing a lasting ceasefire.
Kyiv has continued to defend themselves valiantly against enemy attacks with them landing a humiliating blow to the Kremlin.
They launched a tactical drone attack on Russia's Marinovka military airfield in the Volgograd region in Friday.
Ukraine used long range drones to fly 200 miles to inflict millions of pounds worth of damage to Putin's aerial firepower.
The blitz targeted a set of four Su-34 fighter jets which are each worth a reported £37million.
Furious Russian military analysts confirmed that two of the Su-34 multi-role fighters used on the frontline for bombing missions against Ukraine were destroyed.
The two others also suffered damage.
Pro-war Russian Telegram channel Fighterbomber raged that the hit 'could and should have been prevented'.
Bodies pulled from under rubble after Vladimir Putin bombs Kyiv killing 28 as EU chief says 'fight or learn Russian'
The channel expressed fury at the 'multi-billion dollar' losses Putin's forces are suffering each week to their military arsenal.
Ukraine's SBU security service also commented on the successful strikes as they said: 'The Ukrainian Special Operations Forces and the SBU used long-range drones to attack Russian fighter jets.
'The attack also caused a fire in the technical and operational part of the enemy airfield, which is a critical infrastructure for a military facility.
'This is where the enemy prepares aircraft for flights, carries out their routine maintenance and repair work.'
It came less than a month after Russia supposedly tightened its military air base security after 40-plus strategic bombers and spy planes were hit in Kyiv's audacious Operation Spiderweb.
In Operation Spiderweb - one of the most stunning attacks of the war - drones were launched from trucks positioned close to at least four Russian airfields.
It crippled much of Putin's doomsday bomber flee with 41 of his most prized aircraft lying in smouldering wrecks on tarmac.
Ukraine said the sneak attack was worth $7bn (£5.2bn) in damage to Russia - caused by only 117 cheaply made drones.
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Putin has launched countless revenge strikes since he was embarrassed by the attack.
Last week, he unleashed the deadliest Russian strike on Kyiv in 2025 as 28 people were killed in airstrikes.
Russia blasted 27 locations in Kyiv, with 440 drones and 32 missiles hammering the city for nine hours, according to Ukrainian officials.
Buildings and critical infrastructure facilities were damaged.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called it 'one of the most terrible strikes on Kyiv'.
Days earlier, Ukraine's second largest city Kharkiv was bombarded with 48 kamikaze drones, missiles and guided bombs.
The assault killed three people and injured 21.
Inside Russia's faltering war
By Sayan Bose, Foreign News Reporter
THE Russian invasion of Ukraine has been advancing at an incredibly slow pace - with Kyiv's "dronegrinder" warfare miring Putin's summer offensive.
The rate at which Moscow is capturing land has been dubbed "slower than a snail" - all while the human cost of Russian casualties is sky high.
After 448 days of fighting inside Chasiv Yar in Donetsk Oblast, the Russians reportedly only managed to take control of 50 per cent of the city.
Which means the troops, on average, are only able to take 0.00629 square miles of land per day - which is a painfully low conversion rate.
Even snails, which have a speed of 0.03 miles per hour, can cover more land than what the Russians have gained in the region.
Meanwhile, Kyiv has ramped up its defences as it seeks to thwart Vladimir Putin's final killer summer offensive, which military analysts say could start as early as July.
Ukraine's fierce resistance forced Russian troops to stop in the Sumy region's border area, Kyiv's military Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky revealed.
The military boss said that the Ukrainian armed forces managed to tie down a 50,000-strong force and stabilise the frontlines "as of this week".
But, some 125,000 Russian soldiers are reportedly now massing along the Sumy and Kharkiv frontiers, according to Ukraine's military intelligence.
Ukrainians have tasked a special defence group to strengthen fortifications near the frontlines, build anti-drone corridors and 'kill zones'
It comes amid fears that Vladimir Putin may launch a fresh summer offensive to try and take as much land as he can before agreeing to a ceasefire.
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It's become a major problem for broadcasters and sports bodies, estimated to cost them billions every year, and they're increasingly frustrated about the lack of action from tech companies. IPTV Crackdown Matt Hibbert, Group Director Anti-Piracy at Sky, said firms want to see faster action from big tech platforms. "We know they have the technology and the capability, now we need to see action," he told The Sun. 'I will deliver' I was approached by an account on Facebook called "Firestick updating", which randomly added me with an open profile and very clear intentions. "SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE!!!" a post on their page unashamedly reads, alongside a photo of boxes and boxes of Fire Sticks. Another image shows a rip-off of the Sky Glass interface. It continues: "£60 for year subscription. "£80 for loaded stick no shipping charges." Within minutes of accepting their friend request, I received a private message. They bragged: "I've worldwide 24,000 channels with all sports channels 80,000 daily basis updated movies and series in HD quality. 4 "You'll have everything Netflix, Amazon Prime, Apple T,V Disney+, full Sky package all sports channels ppv events all Irish UK USA TV channels, movies and series on demand. When I asked if it was traceable, they responded, "No mate, not at all". What shocked me even more was that the person offered to come to my house and install it there and then. Although I didn't share my address, just my rough location, I felt quite intimidated by the offer. They wrote: "I will deliver it and set it up for you." Curiously, researching the matter on Facebook seemed to make Meta 's algorithm think I was interested in illegal streaming, and loads of very obvious ads started to appear. Illegal streaming operations usually have ties to gangs, and the money they get from it funds other serious forms of criminal activity. So the idea of having a stranger who might have dodgy links turning up at my front door was quite scary, and more so considering vulnerable people who might allow them into their homes. Jake Moore, from security firm ESET, said: "Devices sounding too good to be true and sold by someone you don't know coming to your house should be the first alarm bell, but these devices have been known to ship with viruses and other dodgy programs onboard." STRANGER DANGER The risks of illegal streaming to your online life can also be pretty devastating. Fraud is the biggest consequence. We've heard from users who chanced it and had their bank account instantly accessed. A 46-year-old Brit - who has asked to remain anonymous - was referred to a cheap streaming site which gives users access to premium channels including Sky Sports. But shortly after entering his bank details a surge of transactions were attempted on his account totalling several thousand pounds. "A couple of friends had already done it and they had no issues," he revealed to The Sun. "It all seemed quite secure, so I didn't even think at the time. "After that, the payment was taken but there were all sorts of transactions on my bank account for quite a large amount of money which were on various times and various dates for different amounts. "It's scary really, they attempted thousands." Meta's website says the company removes "millions of violating posts and accounts every day on Facebook and Instagram", which can range from serious crime like terrorism, to sexual content not allowed on the platforms. "Most of this happens automatically, with technology working behind the scenes to remove violating content – often before anyone sees it," the company claims. When reaching out to Meta about the influx of illegal streaming ads on my Facebook profile, the examples I showed were quickly taken down. But many more blatantly illegal streaming services have simply replaced them, many featuring Meta's new WhatsApp button so you can chat to sellers immediately. Meta told The Sun that reviewing ads from millions of advertisers globally against its advertising standards is essential, but not without challenges. These devices can expose your Wi-Fi network, steal personal data, spread scams, and infect your devices with malware and viruses. We urge consumers to think twice Kieron SharpFACT The company emphasised that it doesn't allow fraudulent activity and works closely with law enforcement to support investigations and keep scammers off its platforms. Detective Chief Inspector Emma Warbey, from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police, told us: "Illegal streaming is a significant challenge for the industry and while it may seem like a low-risk, high-reward crime, the proceeds are used to fund other serious forms of criminal activity. At the same time, it can expose consumers to the risks of data theft, fraud and malware. "The Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit works with partners across law enforcement and the industry to take action against these criminal operations by utilising our full suite of enforcement options, including pursuing criminal prosecutions and serving 'cease and desist' notices to offenders." While it might seem like a tempting offer, Brits be warned - criminals behind the computer screens are not just looking to infiltrate your digital life but your home life too.
