Trump says Putin told him Russia will respond to Ukrainian attack on airfields
US President Donald Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin told him 'very strongly' in a phone call on Wednesday that he will respond to Ukraine's weekend drone attack on Russian airfields.
The US president said in a social media post that 'it was a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate peace.'
The call that lasted for an hour and 15 minutes was Mr Trump's first known with Mr Putin since May 19.
Satellite images show, from top, the Belaya Air Base before a Ukrainian drone attack in the Irkutsk region of eastern Siberia in Russia, and the damage afterwards (Maxar Technologies via AP)
Mr Trump said he and Mr Putin also discussed Iran's nuclear programme.
Ukraine's Security Service gave more details on Wednesday about its weekend drone strike on Russian air bases, which it claimed destroyed or damaged 41 Russian aircraft, including strategic bombers.
The agency claimed the planes struck included A-50, Tu-95, Tu-22, Tu-160, An-12, and Il-78 aircraft, adding that artificial intelligence helped guide the drones thousands of kilometres from Ukraine.
It also said it set off an explosion on Tuesday on the seabed beneath the Kerch Bridge, a vital transport link between Russia and illegally annexed Crimea, claiming it caused damage to the structure.
But Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that there was no damage.
Russia's Defence Ministry said on Wednesday that its troops have taken control of another village in Ukraine's northern Sumy region, on the border with Russia.
Mr Putin announced on May 22 that Russian troops aim to create a buffer zone that might help prevent Ukrainian cross-border attacks. Since then, Russia's Ministry of Defence claims its forces have taken control of nine Sumy villages.
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The Journal
43 minutes ago
- The Journal
Snared by the 'Spider's Web' - How Ukraine carried out their 'audacious' weekend drone attack
DESPITE BEING OUTNUMBERED and outgunned, Ukraine managed to use inexpensive drones to destroy Russian nuclear-capable bombers worth billions of dollars last weekend, in an operation carried out after months of planning. The operation targeted dozens of strategic air bases and delivered a major blow to Moscow's long-range bomber fleet. US news outlets described the attack as 'stunning' and 'audacious', UK press said it was 'unprecedented' and 'broad' – and all of them agreed that the major attack on Russia's nuclear-capable strategic bombers highlighted Ukraine's strategic savvy against its much larger invader. Codenamed 'Spider's Web' – or simply 'Web' – the operation was named for its wide geographic coverage across remote Russian locations previously thought to be beyond the reach of Ukraine's long-range drone capabilities. Some military commentators and pro-Russian bloggers even called it the country's 'Pearl Harbour'. The strikes seem to have got to Putin – with Donald Trump admitting this week that the Russian leader 'very strongly' told him he 'will have to respond' to the drone attack. Russia has since launched large-scale drone and missile strikes on Ukraine's capital and other parts of the country in an apparent retaliation. How did Ukraine do it? Planning for the operation began over 18 months ago. Ukrainian agents secretly smuggled about 150 small strike drones, modular launch systems, and 300 explosive payloads into Russia using covert routes. Babr Mash Babr Mash The drones were hidden inside wooden cabins, which were then loaded onto ordinary cargo trucks. A truck used to release some of the Ukrainian drones that attacked Russian air bases. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo A key part of the plan relied on covert logistics within Russian territory, involving unwitting Russian civilians – the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reportedly recruited Russian truck drivers to transport the mobile drone launchers disguised as regular cargo. These drivers were instructed to arrive at specific times and park at preselected spots near strategic Russian air bases, such as fuel stations and remote roadside areas. At the appointed time last weekend, the roofs of the cabins were remotely opened, and drones launched directly from inside the trucks. Footage of a Ukrainian FPV strike drone rising from a cargo truck and heading towards Russia's Belaya Airbase. The drone launch and airbase hit were over 4000 km (2500 mi) from Ukraine. — OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) June 1, 2025 This allowed the drones to strike from very close range, bypassing Russia's layered air defenses – including Pantsir and S-300 systems – before they could respond. Russian sources confirmed the drones launched just outside airfields, from places like fuel stations and roadside laybys. After launch, the trucks exploded, triggered by self-destruct mechanisms. Ukrainian leaders, including President Zelensky and SSU chief Vasyl Maliuk, were reportedly involved in planning and real-time coordination. What was the impact? In total, 117 drones were launched, striking at least 41 aircraft. Advertisement Ukraine's SBU put the estimated cost to the Kremlin at $7 billion. Footage from a Ukrainian drone striking Russian planes deep in Russia's territory. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Ukrainian estimates claim this damaged 34% of Russia's strategic cruise missile platforms, including some of the few remaining A-50 early warning aircraft critical for Russia's air surveillance and targeting. Russia's major losses include strategic bombing, aviation, and airborne early warning and control aircraft. An overhead view of the damage at Olenya air base. Sumy Oblast government Sumy Oblast government The Russian Defence Ministry confirmed the attacks had occurred in five regions of Russia – Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan and Amur – but stated planes had been damaged only in Murmansk and Irkutsk, while in other locations the attacks had been repelled. One of the air bases impacted by the strikes was 2,500 miles behind Russian borders, deep in Siberia. Yohann Michel, a researcher at the French university Lyon 3, said the loss of the aircraft was 'a serious blow to Russian offensive capabilities'. 7 млрд. доларів США. Така орієнтовна вартість стратегічної авіації ворога, яка була вражена сьогодні в результаті спецоперації СБУ «Павутина». Вражено 34% стратегічних носіїв крилатих ракет на основних аеродромах базування рф. Слава Україні! Героям Слава! 🇺🇦 — СБ України (@ServiceSsu) June 1, 2025 'The main impact could be felt in several weeks' time with a reduction in the number of sorties by the rest of the fleet' due to difficulties in finding spare parts for the Soviet-era planes, which are no longer in production, he said. Maxim Starchak, a fellow at the Centre for International and Defence Policy at Queen's University in Canada, said it would take Russia a long time to replace the lost aircraft. 'Russia is extremely slow and inefficient in developing new aircraft for its nuclear forces,' he explained. 'Essentially untracable' Michael Shurkin, a former CIA officer, said Ukraine's operation was likely to have struck fear into militaries across the world, adding that potential targets for such drone attacks could include refineries, ballistic missile silos or military bases. 'This technology is akin to stealth technology: The threat is difficult to detect both because it emerges near the target and is too small and too low to be picked up by sensors designed to catch aircraft or missiles,' said Shurkin, director of global programs for the consultancy 14 North Strategies. Footage from a Ukrainian drone targeting Belaya Air Base in Russia's Irkutsk region in Siberia last week. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Ukrainian military analyst Oleksii Kopytko said anyone delivering a pizza or driving a horse-drawn cart could present a danger. 'The organisers and main perpetrators are essentially untraceable,' he said. A French arms manufacturing executive said Ukraine could even have trained AI algorithms to recognise aircraft or guide the drones in case of jamming. 'New tools are forcing us to completely rethink defence systems and how they are produced,' said the executive, who asked not to be named. 'It opens up possibilities that we hadn't even imagined.' Zelensky 'just proved that he and Ukraine are more than able to pull aces out of their combat fatigue sleeves,' said Timothy Ash, an emerging market economist focused on Russia. Additional reporting from AFP Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
The Journal
43 minutes ago
- The Journal
At least five killed as Russia launches major attack on Ukraine
AT LEAST FIVE people have been killed after Russia unleashed a barrage of missiles, drones and bombs across Ukraine early this morning. Russian forces have accelerated attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks, with the Kremlin vowing to retaliate over a brazen attack on its air bases last weekend. The Ukrainian air force said Moscow had fired 206 drones and nine missiles, adding that 'the air attack was repelled by aviation, anti-aircraft missile troops, electronic warfare and unmanned systems units, and mobile fire groups of the Ukrainian Defense Forces'. In Kharkiv, Mayor Igor Terekhov counted 48 Iranian-made drones, two missiles and four guided bombs before dawn in the city of some 1.4 million residents located less than 50 kilometres from the Russian border in northeastern Ukraine. 'Kharkiv is currently experiencing the most powerful attack since the beginning of the full-scale war,' Terekhov posted on Telegram around 4.40am (2.40am Irish time), adding that drones were still buzzing overhead. The Russian strikes pummelled homes and apartment blocks, killing at least three people and wounding 17 more, the mayor said. A woman was also pulled alive from the rubble of a high-rise building. Kharkiv region Governor Oleg Synegubov said the wounded included two children. 'Medical personnel are providing the necessary assistance,' he wrote. The northeastern city was already reeling from an attack on Thursday that wounded at least 18 people, including four children. Advertisement Rescuers carry a wounded woman after Russian attack that hit a residential building in Kharkiv. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo In the southern port city of Kherson, Russian shelling killed a couple and damaged two high-rise buildings, regional Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said. In the central Dnipropetrovsk region, governor Sergiy Lysak said Ukrainian forces had repelled 27 drones and two missiles overnight, but two women aged 45 and 88 were injured. Rescuers in the western city of Lutsk, near the Polish border, meanwhile discovered a second fatality from Friday's strikes, describing the victim as a woman in her 20s. The aerial bombardments come days after Ukraine launched a brazen attack well beyond the frontlines, damaging nuclear-capable military planes at Russian air bases and prompting vows of revenge from Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russia's defence ministry meanwhile said that 36 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles had been downed across a wide swath of territory. Ukraine has been pushing for an unconditional and immediate 30-day truce, issuing its latest proposal during peace talks in Istanbul on Monday. But Russia, which now controls around one-fifth of Ukraine's territory, has repeatedly rejected such offers to end its three-year war. The Kremlin said on Friday the Ukraine war was 'existential' for Russia. Ceasefire hopes dim The comments are Moscow's latest to dampen hopes for a breakthrough amid a flurry of meetings between Russian and Ukrainian delegations, as well as telephone calls between President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, aimed at stopping the fighting. 'For us it is an existential issue, an issue on our national interest, safety, on our future and the future of our children, of our country,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, responding to remarks by Trump on Thursday comparing Moscow and Kyiv to brawling children. Related Reads Trump-Putin phone call will not lead to 'immediate peace in Ukraine', US President says Ukraine attacks bridge connecting Crimea to Russia with over a thousand kilos of explosives Ukraine says it destroyed more than 40 military planes in drone attack in Russia Ahead of the talks this week in Istanbul, an audacious Ukrainian drone attack damaged nuclear-capable military planes at Russian air bases, including thousands of kilometres behind the front lines in Siberia. Putin had told Trump he would retaliate for the brazen operation, 18 months in the planning, in which Ukraine smuggled more than 100 small drones into Russia, parked them near Russian air bases and unleashed them in a coordinated attack. Putin has issued a host of sweeping demands on Ukraine if it wants to halt the fighting. They include completely pulling troops out of four regions claimed by Russia, but which its army does not fully control, an end to Western military support, and a ban on Ukraine joining Nato. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dismissed the demands as old ultimatums, questioned the purpose of more such talks and called for a summit to be attended by him, Putin and Trump. With reporting from © AFP 2025 Want to know more about what's happening in Ukraine and why? Check out our new FactCheck Knowledge Bank for essential reads and guides to finding good information online. Visit Knowledge Bank Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
Meet Ukraine's special ops unit wiping out Putin's war machine from bomber blitz to £3bn bridge… & what they'll hit next
DEEP behind enemy lines, Ukraine's special ops unit marked a turning point in modern warfare after drones blitzed Vladimir Putin's prized bombers beyond repair. Ukraine's Security Service - the SBU - is wiping out the Russian tyrant's war machine with stunning success. Advertisement 14 Ukraine destroyed a third of Putin's strategic bomber fleet in Operation Spiderweb 14 Ukraine hit Belaya Air Base in Russia's Irkutsk region, deep in Siberia 14 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meeting with the head of Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) Vasyl Malyuk in Kyiv 14 On Sunday, the SBU's It set a new high point for Ukraine's spies - showing incredible ingenuity, reach, and coordination inside a hostile country. The SBU, led by Vasyl Malyuk, Over the three years of the war, the SBU has repeatedly assassinated commanders, bombed key sites, and attacked Putin's beloved bridge in Crimea. Advertisement Read more on world news Despite Russia being larger, stronger, and holding the cards at the start of the war - it is Ukraine who has carried out a string of daring sabotage attacks. Experts told The Sun why they think Ukraine and the SBU has been able to pull off these attacks - and what they could strike next. Best spies in Europe Former MI6 intelligence officer Matthew Dunn said Spiderweb showed the SBU were the best spies in Europe. He said: "Being an intelligence officer, there's no static, fixed rule book about what one does." Advertisement Most read in The US Sun One question the world has been left asking is how Ukraine managed to get the drones inside Russia. The bestselling spy novelist and podcast host at SafeHouse Productions said there is no clear answer. Putin plotting 'final killer offensive' to WIN Ukraine war despite Russian losses nearing 1 MILLION He said: "The commanders involved in this at high level, they would have been very open-minded about how to get these drones into the country." Dunn said SBU spies could have smuggled drones over the border on foot, via parachute, or even a raft - whatever was the safest and easiest way. Advertisement He said: "The intelligence operation and the officers involved would have been as creative as possible. "The issue is, the more people you involve... the higher the risk of compromise. "Sometimes with these kind of things, risky and daring as they can be, sometimes simplicity is the answer." Dunne thinks the stunning success of Spiderweb means the SBU will only continue being pragmatic and open-minded. Advertisement 14 A Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) serviceman stands in front of the entrance of Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery 14 Malyuk looking at photos of the airports targeted by Ukraine Credit: AFP 14 Dunne said: "The [Spiderweb] punch to Russia is [the SBU] saying, 'we're not giving up, and this is our reach. This is what we can do'." Advertisement He said the SBU would choose their victims on a "case by case" basis as it continues to cripple the Russian war machine. That's bad news for Putin - who will likely only going to see more goons assassinated, infrastructure attacked, and his beloved Crimea bridge bombed. And foreign intelligence agencies will be watching and trying to figure out the SBU's methods. Russians as spies Dr Jade McGlynn said the SBU uses civilians to sabotage Russia in the exact same way Vlad does to the West. Advertisement The expert in Ukraine's resistance fighters at King's College London said she expected apathetic and bribed Russians to have played "at least some role" in Sunday's attack. McGlynn believes Ukraine targeted Russians who didn't care for their country or the invasion and needed a bit of spare cash. 14 Artyom Timofeev has been accused by Russian bloggers of orchestrating Operation Spiderweb Credit: East2West 14 It is not known exactly what relationship Artem has, if any, with the SBU Credit: East2West Advertisement She said: "We keep on seeing this outsourcing, where they'll [Ukraine's spies] pay random people, maybe lure them in, they know they [Russian civilians] need a bit of money, and then they'll try and bomb a shopping center." Russian bloggers accused Ukraine's spies of hiring Russian lorry drivers to get the shipping crates into position next to the air bases. Lorry drivers reportedly said they received instructions from an "Artem" and had no idea what was in the containers they transported. Ukraine later released footage of the containers starting their journeys - as drivers took the vehicles to their fateful destinations. Advertisement Eyes and ears On the ground, Putin is also battling to stop partisans, groups of militants, inside Russia who oppose his rule. He's fighting against both Ukrainians caught behind the front line and Russians who hate Putin. McGlynn said it was hard to know exactly how big resistance groups are, how many of them there are, and what exactly they do given the secrecy involved. But she warned that some are the "eyes and ears" of Ukrainian intelligence in Russia. Advertisement 14 A member of the pro-Ukrainian Russian paramilitary group Freedom of Russia Legion Credit: Reuters 14 Russian partisan group Atesh destroying a railway signal box McGlynn said: "They're people who just go around and check coordinates, who send things through encrypted special bots. "There's a base here is at this location, or we're seeing a lot of equipment going here, and then the Ukrainians can use that for drone attacks. Advertisement "That's similar to the way that the French resistance helped with knowing where the German defences were ahead of D-Day - that information targeting [role]." Other groups, such as the Freedom of Russia Legion, are more militant and fight Russia directly. This provides the SBU with agents on the ground inside Russia who can carry out attacks, recruit Russians to do their bidding, and provide key information. Vlad's 'doomed bridge' While Spiderweb was carried out with flying kamikaze drones, the SBU has also pioneered the use of sea drones. Advertisement They've rendered Vlad's Black Sea fleet useless after destroying 11 Russian ships - including the flagship Moskva - with the unmanned water vehicles. Ukraine has also repeatedly bombed Putin's beloved £3b bridge crossing the Kerch Strait. The tyrant built the span after he annexed Crimea in 2014 and it is key for linking the peninsular with Russia. But to Ukraine it represents Putin's imperialism. Advertisement A sabotage attack in October 2022 saw Ukraine cause part of the span to collapse after spies placed a bomb on a truck. 14 Ukraine bombed Putin's beloved bridge in 2022 Credit: AP 14 A helicopter drops water to extinguish fuel tanks ablaze on the Kerch bridge following the blast Credit: Reuters 14 Advertisement Russia arrested five of its own citizens as well as three others and accused them of organising the attack. But it's not just human intelligence the SBU deals with - they have attacked the bridge several other times with sea-based drones. Known as Sea Baby drones, the water-based vehicles have caused havoc to Russia. Two Sea Baby's packed with 850kg of explosives each tore apart a section of the stretch in 2023. Advertisement Why have Ukraine spies beat Russians? Ambassador John Herbst - who was Washington DC's man in the country between 2003 and 2006 - said Ukraine's spies had been allowed to innovate. In Russia, decision-making is centralised and bureaucratic but in Ukraine officers are given more freedom, he said. Herbst said: "Ukrainian ingenuity has been a regular feature of this war, not to mention the fact that they not only surprised Putin, but they surprised the entire US. "It's very clear that the Ukrainians are operating pretty easily and exceptionally, effectively across Russia." Advertisement But Herbst said as much as cultural differences mattered - so did similarities. One factor benefiting Ukraine is how familiar they are with Russia - having been a member of the Soviet Union. Their cultural links and shared history meant that Ukrainian spies know how to work inside Russia, deal with Russian civilians, and understand the army. He said: "This is the flip side of something the entire world has been talking about since Ukraine emerged as an independent country, which is the fact that the Russians have had great success in planting agents in Ukrainian intelligence agencies and co-opting those agencies. Advertisement "Parts of the Ukrainian elite were junior partners [in the Soviet elite] which gave Ukrainian great insight, better insight than we have, into how the Soviet Union operated, and how Russia still operates." Inside Operation Spiderweb By James Halpin, Foreign News Reporter Ukraine's shock sleeper drone blitz on Russia's bomber fleet has delivered a hammer blow to Vladimir Putin's nuclear arsenal. The SAS-style strike against Volodymyr Zelensky oversaw Operation Spiderweb - much like Winston Churchill did as Britain struck deep behind enemy lines. The Ukrainian said: "It's genuinely satisfying when something I authorized a year and six months ago comes to fruition and deprives Russians of over forty units of strategic aviation. "We will continue this work." Putin's doomsday bomber fleet is now crippled with 41, or a third, 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. Like Israel's mass pager sabotage against Hezbollah, Kyiv has rewritten the rule book in how to strike the heart of their enemy. Ukraine's spies spent 18 months putting the plan into action and struck on the eve of
