A day after Russian President Vladimir Putin and former US President Donald Trump had a phone call that lasted 75 minutes, Moscow announced that it would decide when and how to respond to Ukraine’s major drone attack on its airbases.
The Kremlin stated that Russia’s military will take action at a time of its choosing. This response comes after Ukraine launched a large drone operation against Russian targets under the name Operation Spider’s Web.
Putin Signals Retaliation in Conversation With Trump
During the phone call, President Putin expressed strong displeasure over Ukraine’s drone assault and told Trump that Moscow would respond. Trump shared details of the conversation on his social media platform, Truth Social.
“President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields,” Trump wrote.
He added, “The call lasted approximately one hour and 15 minutes. We discussed the attack on Russia’s docked airplanes by Ukraine, and also various other attacks that have been taking place by both sides. It was a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace.” Later, AFP reported that the Kremlin confirmed a military response would happen “as and when our military deems it appropriate.”
What Was Operation Spider’s Web?
Operation Spider’s Web was a secret drone mission executed by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) as part of its ongoing war with Russia. The operation was launched on June 1, targeting multiple airbases and aircraft spread across Russian territory.
According to the SBU, over 40 Russian bombers were destroyed. These aircraft were allegedly used regularly for airstrikes against Ukrainian cities, especially Kyiv. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that this operation was the result of 18 months and nine days of planning before it was finally carried out.
Russia Strikes Back in Ukraine
Just hours after the Trump-Putin call, Russia launched retaliatory strikes in Ukraine, killing at least five civilians. Six Russian drones hit a residential area in Pyluky, killing five people including a one-year-old child.
President Zelenskyy said that overnight, Russia launched 103 drones and one ballistic missile toward various Ukrainian regions. The areas hit included Donetsk, Kharkiv, Odessa, Sumy, Chernihiv, Dnipro, and Kherson.
