On June 1, the day before more talks today with Russia in Istanbul, Ukraine launched the most significant single-day air attack by either side since the war began. Code-named “Spider’s Web,” the operation involved 117 powerful drones hidden inside containers, which were transported by trucks thousands of miles to Russian bases. Lids were opened remotely and simultaneously, releasing swarms of drones that targeted critical military aircraft at five Russian military bases deep inside the country, a fleet worth an estimated $7 billion. The assault has crippled Russia’s Air Force and will reduce aerial attacks against Ukraine’s civilians, said George Barros, an expert with the Institute for the Study of War. “By killing the archers instead of intercepting the arrows, it’s a more effective way to degrade Russian capabilities.”
The air attack also marked an escalation in cross-border incursions against Russia as well as a new chapter in the world of digital warfare in the future. Ukrainian security sources reported to CBS News that the attack was planned over months and that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy personally supervised the operation. In his press appearance, the President described the attacks as “absolutely brilliant” and released videotapes of each one to the media. “We are doing everything to protect our independence, our state, and our people,” he said, then thanked everyone involved. “We had been preparing the operation for more than a year and a half. Everything was perfectly prepared, from planning and organization to every detail. I can say for sure that this is a completely unique operation.”
He also disclosed that the headquarters of Ukraine’s clandestine operation inside Russia was located “right next to the FSB office in one of (Russia’s) regions … and that a total of 117 drones, and a corresponding number of drone operators, were working on the task,” he said. “Thirty-four percent of the strategic cruise missile carriers at the airfields were also hit. Our people were operating in different Russian regions – in three time zones. And our people were withdrawn from the territory of Russia on the eve of the operation, and now they are safe – those who helped us.” In addition, Ukrainian special forces blew up several bridges and derailed trains in recent days inside Russia.
The Kremlin uncharacteristically admitted the drone air assaults occurred, but only because the Ukrainians released videos. Its spokesman dubbed these “terrorist attacks” even though only military targets were hit. By contrast, Russia is a sponsor of state terrorism around the world and, in Ukraine, has purposely targeted non-military sites and civilians, hospitals, churches, schools, and essential infrastructure since its 2022 invasion. Washington declined to comment about the strikes but said it had no advance knowledge of the attack.
Zelensky didn’t skip a beat and said he was sending a Ukrainian delegation to negotiate with Russia in Istanbul as planned. Defense Minister Rustem Umerov will lead another face-to-face with Russian representatives. He also reiterated Ukraine’s demand for “a complete and unconditional ceasefire” and the return of prisoners as well as the return of tens of thousands of children abducted from the territories Russia occupies, a massive war crime that continues and that the International Criminal Court has charged Putin with.
Russian news agencies reported that a delegation would travel to Istanbul as well and would finally share a memo outlining Putin’s terms to end the war, but only during the talks. However, the contents are known and totally unreasonable: Putin wants Ukraine to completely capitulate, give up territories, hand back frozen assets, disband its military, and pledge never to join NATO.
Escalations on both sides before such crucial talks bode poorly for ending the conflict, as did Trump’s announcement that he’s fed up and distancing himself from negotiations. He commented recently, after mass bombings against Ukrainian cities, that “Putin has gone absolutely crazy. I don’t know what’s wrong with him. What the hell happened to him? Right? He’s killing a lot of people.”
It was a strange outburst. Trump would have us believe that he only just realized Putin was a mass murderer. If that is true, then Trump suffers from a more serious case of cognitive decline than afflicted Joe Biden during his last weeks in the White House. More plausibly, Trump came up with this “diagnosis” as an excuse for his poor judgment and to justify walking away from a peace process that he boasted he could accomplish by June — a month now marked by two enormous air assaults. Trump began distancing his involvement as early as May 19 when he told White House reporters that Russia was “playing with fire” by ignoring a ceasefire request and killing Ukrainian civilians and that something was “going to happen” to end the war. “And if it doesn’t, I just back away, and they’re going to have to keep going. This was a European situation and should have remained a European situation.”
Fortunately, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham has a sweeping bill before Congress that would impose “bone-breaking” sanctions on Russia and its oil customers like China unless it stops its violence. A Trump fan who supports Ukraine, Senator Graham was in Ukraine during the recent unprecedented attack by Russia and has publicly applauded Ukraine’s retaliatory strikes. “Ever-resourceful Ukraine used creative drone warfare tactics to successfully attack Russian bombers and military assets used to kill Ukrainian citizens and destroy their country,” he tweeted on June 1. “Russia indiscriminately kills men, women, and children. It’s time for the world to act decisively against Russia by holding China and others accountable for buying cheap oil that props up Putin’s war machine.”
He claims to have enough votes to overcome a veto by President Trump, who he maintains has been abused by Putin. “President Trump called for a 30-day cease-fire. Ukraine said yes; Russia said no. President Trump urged Zelensky and Putin to meet in Istanbul — I was there — for direct talks. Zelensky went; Putin didn’t. We’ve given Russia plenty of opportunity to find an honorable end to this war. They’re not interested. And they won't change until we raise the stakes. So, we need moral clarity here. Putin is dragging this out.”
It is unlikely that Trump will veto Graham’s sanctions, given the recent polling results regarding the war. As of mid-May, 46% of Americans believe the U.S. is not doing enough to help Ukraine in the conflict, a 16-percentage-point increase since December. Some 53% want the U.S. to help Ukraine reclaim territory, even if it prolongs conflict, and 64% say they would favor sending more weapons and military supplies to Ukraine if Russia violates the terms of an agreement.
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Is anyone else gobsmacked by the lack of media coverage of this modern day Trojan Horse epic?
Thank you Diane... In the midst of all this the attack has apparently caused damages amounting to 7 Billion dollars or Euros...This is big real big but a much bigger outcome lies, in waiting, in the European banks. As a layman, I am totally miffed to realize that to this day, the European Union has not taken all the necessary actions to cease the Russian 300 Billions Euro deposits currently frozen by the banks to presumably help Ukraine fund its resistance. Is there something that I am missing here?... Can anyone tell me why this has yet to happen?