Russia Massive Russian attack on Ukraine underway
Russia attacked Ukraine during the night with an unusually heavy wave of drone attacks and cruise missiles. Targets included the capital Kiev and other major cities and regions in the far west of the country, reported several news portals such as "The Kyiv Independent". An air alert was issued in all regions of Ukraine.
06.06.2025, 04:04
SDA
The Ukrainian air force warned that several Russian bombers had taken off and had probably already fired cruise missiles. Explosions were reported in several cities.
As a result of the attacks, several fires broke out in residential buildings in Kiev and other civilian infrastructure also went up in flames, reported the "Kyiv Independent". According to Mayor Vitali Klitschko, at least three people were injured. According to the military administration, there could be emergency power failures in the eastern part of Kyiv.
Russia vows retaliation
It was initially unclear whether this was the expected large-scale retaliatory attack by Russia following the Ukrainian strike against the Russian bomber fleet last weekend.
In the surprise attack, after months of preparation, the Ukrainian secret service had attacked several Russian military airfields, from which fighter jets had previously regularly taken off on attacks against Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi celebrated the attack by his secret service, the SBU, as an "absolutely brilliant success". It had been Ukraine's most far-reaching operation in the course of the war to date.
According to the SBU, a total of more than 40 aircraft with a total value of seven billion dollars (6.1 billion euros) were destroyed in the attacks, including one near Irkutsk in distant Siberia. Russia has thus lost 34 percent of its strategic bomber fleet capable of launching cruise missiles.
This high figure could not be confirmed on the basis of published US satellite images. The Russian military only spoke of a few damaged aircraft near Murmansk and Irkutsk and described the attacks as an act of terrorism.
Trump as Putin's mouthpiece
The Kremlin initially remained silent after the embarrassing attack on its own soil. Putin's anger was then first made public by US President Donald Trump. After his phone call with the Kremlin leader, Trump said that Putin had "said very clearly" that he had to respond to the attacks by Ukraine.
Later, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also indirectly announced retaliation for the strikes against the bomber fleet. He said that Russia's response would take place at a time and with the means that "our military deems necessary".
