On 1 June, Ukraine launched a massive drone attack on several key military airfields deep inside Russia. This operation, called Operation Spider’s Web, took over a year and a half to plan. It targeted five different air bases in one coordinated strike. Vasyl Malyuk, the head of Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), said the attack damaged about 34% of Russia’s military aircraft. However, a later German military report estimated the damage to be closer to 10%.
The United States says that Russia has not yet fully responded but is preparing a “vicious and unrelenting” retaliation that could come in the next few days. Officials expect Russia’s response to include various types of attacks, such as missiles and drones. They also believe Russia will strike in a way that is “asymmetrical” — meaning it won’t simply copy Ukraine’s drone strikes but will likely use different tactics and weapons.
A Western diplomatic source suggested Russia might escalate its attacks to hit symbolic targets in Ukraine, like government buildings, to send a clear message. Another source expects Moscow to target the Security Service of Ukraine directly because of its key role in leading Operation Spider’s Web.
The Fighting Continues With Deadly Strikes in Ukraine
Since the drone attack, Russian forces have carried out several major missile and drone strikes against Ukraine. In Kyiv, missile strikes on Friday resulted in the deaths of four people. The next day, Kharkiv suffered two separate strikes that killed four people and injured up to 60. Ihor Terekhov, the mayor of Kharkiv, called the attacks Russia’s “most powerful” on the city since the full-scale war started.
During the night between Saturday and Sunday, Russia fired 49 attack drones and three missiles at Ukraine’s eastern regions of Kharkiv and Donetsk, the Ukrainian Air Force reported. These strikes came from Russian-controlled Crimea and Zaporizhzhia. The Ukrainian Air Force said their forces successfully repelled the attacks.
In Moscow, authorities took precautionary steps due to threats from Ukrainian drones. Sergei Sobyanin, Moscow’s mayor, shared on his Telegram channel that 10 Ukrainian attack drones were shot down in the early hours of Sunday. Due to the drone threat, two airports in Moscow were briefly closed early Sunday morning.
A War of Drones and Missiles Continues With No End Yet
The conflict between Ukraine and Russia continues with both sides using drones and missiles to attack military and civilian targets. Ukraine’s Operation Spider’s Web showed a new level of drone warfare by striking deep inside Russia. Russia’s expected response may be even stronger and involve a mix of weapons and targets.
Ukrainian officials like Vasyl Malyuk and city leaders such as Ihor Terekhov continue to share updates about the damage and casualties caused by these attacks. Moscow’s mayor Sergei Sobyanin also keeps the public informed about drone threats in the Russian capital.
The ongoing attacks and counterattacks highlight how the war is becoming more high-tech and deadly, with drones playing a major role on both sides.