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U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will not attend Wednesday’s meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Politico reported . Hegseth also won’t join the meeting virtually, according to the Associated Press, which citied an unnamed official. According to Politico, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker will join the meeting instead. Hegseth is still expected to participate in the NATO defense ministers’ meeting in Brussels on June 5. Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson said Hegseth would not be able to attend the meeting of Ukraine’s allies due to scheduling conflicts. “The United States is focused on ending the war in Ukraine as quickly as possible, on terms that establish an enduring peace,” she added. As the AP notes, Hegseth’s absence from the meeting is “the latest in a series of steps that the U.S. has taken to distance itself from the Ukraine war effort.” This will mark the first time in three years that a U.S. defense secretary has missed a Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting. The group was launched in April 2022 by Hegseth’s predecessor, Lloyd Austin. It includes representatives from more than 50 countries, including all NATO members and most E.U. states.…

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Trump’s special envoy warns Ukraine’s ‘bold attack’ on Russian air bases raises risk of escalation

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Keith Kellogg, U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, said in a June 3 interview with Fox News that Ukraine had carried out a “very bold attack” on Russian military airfields — but cautioned that the move significantly increases the risk of escalation. “The risk levels are going way up,” he said. “What happened this weekend — people have to understand in the national security space, when you attack an opponent’s, part of their national survival system, which is their triad, their nuclear triad, that your risk level goes up because you don’t know what the other side is going to do, you’re not sure. And that’s what they actually did.” “When you do that,” he continued, “it’s very clear the risk levels would go up. And I think that’s what we’re trying to avoid.” Kellogg added that the Ukrainian operation showed the country “is not lying down on this” and that it could raise the risk level to something “unacceptable” for Russia. On June 1, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) launched an operation code-named Spiderweb , targeting four Russian military airfields. More than 100 drones were launched from trucks positioned near the bases. According to video footage and satellite images, the drones destroyed between 10 and 13 aircraft at sites in Russia’s Irkutsk and Murmansk regions. The SBU and Ukraine’s General Staff later claimed that 41 Russian aircraft had been destroyed. more on the operation The impact of ‘Spiderweb’ Ukraine’s massive drone attack on Russian air bases was a blow to the Kremlin’s pride — but what does it mean for the war?…

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White House says President Trump had no advance knowledge of Ukraine’s ‘Spiderweb’ operation

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U.S. President Donald Trump did not receive advance notice about Ukraine’s drone strikes on Russian military airfields on June 1, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on June 3. Asked what Trump thinks about Kyiv’s Operation “Spiderweb,” Leavitt said the president’s position on the Russian–Ukrainian war remains unchanged: He remains positive about the progress that we're seeing, but he is also a realist. He realizes that these two countries are at war and have been for a long time because of [President Joe Biden’s] weakness and incompetence. Leavitt also emphasized that Trump “does not want this war to drag on.” On June 1, Ukraine attacked several Russian military airfields using drones hidden inside semi-truck trailers. Officials in Kyiv claim the operation took roughly 18 months to prepare and inflicted significant losses on Russia’s strategic air fleet.…

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Moscow court orders government seizure of Russian video game studio amid allegations of funding Ukraine's military

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On June 3, a Moscow court granted a request by the Russian Prosecutor General's Office to designate Wargaming owner Victor Kislyi and Lesta Games owner Malik Khatazhayev as participants in an “extremist organization.” The judge also granted the authorities' demands for a government seizure of all capital shares in Lesta Games, best known as the developer of “Mir Tankov” (the Russian version of “World of Tanks”). Lesta Games inherited the title after Wargaming, the game's original developer, withdrew from the Russian market following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The sweeping confiscation targets all three of the gaming studio’s corporate entities: Lesta, Lesta Games Agency, and Lesta Games Moscow. As evidence of “extremist activity,” federal prosecutors cited the headlines of several news articles, including “The Most Military Themed Game: World of Tanks vs. Russia’s Special Operation” and “Wargaming Launches Charity Project With Ukrainian Content in Its Games to Raise Money for Ambulances.” Meduza traced these headlines back to the title of a YouTube video and an article that appeared on the website Marketer (variations of the second headline also appear in other Ukrainian outlets). Anton Gorelkin, first deputy chairman of the State Duma's Information Technology Committee, wrote on his Telegram channel that players of Lesta Games products “have nothing to worry about” following the June 3 ruling. “They can’t be accused of supporting the Ukrainian Armed Forces or extremism for making in-game purchases,” Gorelkin explained. “Just as users of Instagram, which is banned in Russia and belongs to the extremist company Meta, have nothing to fear. Moreover, Lesta Games’ assets will soon come under state control and then, most likely, will be transferred to an appropriate Russian company.” In April 2024, Khatazhaev stated that he terminated all contact and business dealings with Wargaming CEO Victor Kislyi after August 2023, a claim confirmed by Wargaming’s press service. In October 2023, six months after parting ways with Lesta Games, Wargaming launched multiple charitable initiatives to support Ukraine, including “WargamingUnited,” in collaboration with the United24 crowdfunding campaign. One of these initiatives raised more than $1 million, leading to allegations in Russia that Lesta was complicit in funding Ukraine's military. The Russian studio responded by emphasizing that it has no involvement in any activities that might be illegal in Russia or Belarus. It also cautioned gamers to “be careful when making payments.” Читайте также World of legal trouble Moscow court freezes assets of Russian studio that inherited local rights to ‘World of Tanks’ video game…

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Spinning Russia’s military mishaps. State broadcasters emphasize rescue heroics while minimizing Ukrainian strikes that exposed strategic airfields’ vulnerability

12 hours ago

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The Ostankino television and radio tower in Moscow Russia’s major news networks faced a considerable challenge covering events from the May 31–June 1 weekend, which included train derailments in two regions and drone strikes on strategic warplanes at multiple airfields. Meduza examines the narratives that dominated the airwaves as broadcasters devised self-serving frames for numerous bombings that claimed at least seven lives and destroyed at least a dozen aircraft. Leading Russian television networks mostly ignored Ukraine’s drone strikes on military airfields, focusing instead on train derailments that killed seven The national television networks Channel One and Rossiya-1 devoted their entire news coverage on June 1 to the overpass bombings that caused train derailments in the Bryansk and Kursk regions. This focus continued on their flagship Sunday evening news programs, highlighting search and rescue operations and cleanup work. Broadcasters reported on emergency aid provided to passengers of the Moscow-bound train and how people helped each other out of the wreckage. “After the train wreck, the virtues that have always defined our people in adversity were on full display,” reported a Channel One correspondent. “From the very beginning, the train’s crew sprang into action. The passengers, including those who had been injured, helped others who were in even worse shape, especially the people trapped in wrecked train cars. Despite the late hour, residents of Vygonicchi also joined the rescue effort.” In evening programming, Channel One and Rossiya-1 also devoted segments to Vladimir Putin’s role in the emergency response. The networks reported in almost identical words that the president was monitoring the situation closely and receiving reports from multiple agencies, including the Federal Security Service, the Emergency Situations Ministry, the Health Ministry, and regional officials in Bryansk. The networks’ flagship Sunday evening shows spent less than a minute covering Ukrainian drone strikes on military airfields across the country, simply reading out a press release from the Russian military. NTV linked the overpass bombings and drone attacks to negotiations in Istanbul, warning of a ‘harsh’ Russian retaliation NTV’s flagship evening program on June 1 suggested that the overpass bombings in the Bryansk and Kursk regions were linked to Russia’s negotiations with Ukraine, scheduled to resume the next day in Istanbul: While everyone was waiting for the second round of negotiations on Ukraine, two overpasses were blown up on Sunday night in our border region. [...] With the first collapse in the Bryansk region, it was clear that this was no mere tragic accident. And a little later, Governor [Alexander] Bogomaz declared that the overpass had been blown up. […] In the Kursk region, three people were injured, but the bombing scheme is similar. So the big question is: who's behind these bombings? Who does this on the eve of possible negotiations? NTV anchor Vladimir Chernyshev denounced Ukraine’s drone attacks as “audacious and suicidal for whoever planned them.” He told viewers that “this provocation” was calculated to “escalate military operations” and warned that Russia would strike back hard: Undoubtedly, as always, Russia’s response will be harsh. You definitely wouldn't want to be Ukraine right now. But the Kyiv regime is narrowing its own window of opportunities. Every successive round of negotiations will only be worse for them. But they apparently hope to drag out the fighting by basically switching to sabotage warfare with Russia, so they can keep raking in money for it. And they hope for continued cover from their handlers. The Kyiv regime has already shown its true colors so many times, including in our border region, that the questions answer themselves when you ask who benefits from such actions or why we need to create a security buffer zone at the borders. Related reading Foretelling failure The Kremlin has instructed Russia’s news media to prepare the public for no breakthroughs in Istanbul Pundit Vladimir Solovyov demanded the return of Soviet-era counter-intelligence executions, provoking criticism from Z-bloggers On his network program, pundit Vladimir Solovyov complained that Russia hasn’t revived the Soviet Union’s WWII-era counter-intelligence umbrella organization, “SMERSH,” more than three years into the Ukraine war. When discussing the drone strikes on Russian airfields, Solovyov lashed out at a Russian conscript soldier who allegedly shared footage of some of the damage, calling the man a “traitor to the Motherland” and demanding that he be “shot.” “Can’t we just shoot this conscript? Just take this scum out and simply shoot him in front of his unit as a traitor to the Motherland. He’s just working for the enemy now. No, we can’t. Our laws don’t allow it. We’re humanists, don’t you know. We can’t even scold him,” Solovyov said, arguing that the soldier wouldn’t have had access to a phone at the time if the military enforced its own policies. Solovyov's remarks drew significant attention on social media, including criticism from some of the invasion’s most vocal supporters. The Telegram channel Romanov Lite wrote , “This piece of garbage just went off the rails again. Because he thinks he can get away with anything.” Milblogger Roman Alekhin also questioned Solovyov’s logic: So we’re supposed to shoot a teenager who shits his pants with everything happening around him and reaches for his phone, since that's exactly how he was raised in civilian life under the modern ideology of “Pics or It Didn’t Happen,” but those responsible for instilling in him the army’s ideology and military discipline — what, do we reward them? [...] And what do we do with those who spent years in the media on taxpayers’ money, covering up all the failures and silencing those who told the truth, whitewashing those who created the conditions for this? In response to Solovyov’s comments, the Telegram channel Ghost of Novorossiya recalled that former Russian Federal Security Service officer and Donbas militia leader Igor Girkin was sentenced to four years in prison for “fomenting extremism” with a similar incitement.…

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Russian authorities blame bridge collapses on ‘terrorists’ working for ‘Kyiv regime’

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The Russian Investigative Committee has classified the explosions that allegedly caused bridges to collapse in the Bryansk and Kursk regions this weekend as acts of terrorism. “It’s clear that the terrorists, acting on the orders of the Kyiv regime, planned everything with precision to ensure their attacks would target hundreds of civilians,” said Investigative Committee spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko. According to her, state investigators recovered parts of explosive devices and other physical evidence from the sites of the incidents. “With the support of the FSB [Federal Security Service] and the Interior Ministry, those who organized and carried out these inhumane crimes will be identified and brought to justice,” Petrenko added. The bridge collapse in the Bryansk region killed seven people and injured dozens of others. Read more about the bridge collapses At least seven dead after explosions cause two bridges to collapse in Russian regions bordering Ukraine, authorities say…

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The impact of ‘Spiderweb’. Ukraine’s massive drone attack on Russian air bases was a blow to the Kremlin’s pride — but what does it mean for the war?

18 hours ago

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Drones used during by the SBU in its “Spiderweb” operation The Ukrainian Security Service’s (SBU) “Spiderweb” operation , which targeted Russian air bases in five regions on Sunday, was expertly executed and dealt a major blow to the Kremlin’s pride — but it’s not likely to have any real impact on the course of the war. It’s not clear yet how many aircraft were actually destroyed, but all available evidence suggests the losses were far fewer than the more than 40 bombers that the SBU claimed. The 10–13 aircraft whose losses were confirmed by photo and video evidence represents about a 10 percent reduction in Russia’s fleet of flyable planes of that type. It’s also worth noting that long-range aviation has played only a limited role in the war against Ukraine — and has been the least significant component of Russia’s nuclear triad. How many planes did the SBU manage to hit? According to videos and satellite images , Ukraine’s operation hit at least 10 Tu-95MS and Tu-22M bombers at the Belaya air base in the Irkutsk region and the Olenya air base in the Murmansk region. However, no satellite images from Olenya have been released so far. All reported losses there are based on drone footage provided by the SBU, which shows three destroyed bombers and one military transport aircraft. In one video , a man who appears to be a firefighter at the Belaya base claims that eight aircraft there were severely burned. Visual evidence, including published satellite images, confirms that at least seven bombers were lost. The bitter truth is that events in Russia affect your life, too. Help Meduza continue to bring news from Russia to readers around the world by setting up a monthly donation . Notably, Belaya also housed Tu-160 supersonic strategic bombers, which are far more expensive and modern than the Tu-95s. These appear to have been left untouched. Two other air bases — Ivanovo (Severny), home to A-50 airborne radar detection aircraft, and Dyagilevo, which also houses Tu-95s — were reportedly targeted as well, according to the SBU. So far, however, no video evidence has emerged from either location. It’s likely that the SBU’s claim of 41 bombers destroyed is a significant exaggeration. What the open-source footage shows Ukraine says it destroyed dozens of Russian warplanes in its unprecedented ‘Spiderweb’ operation. Here’s what the footage shows. Did Ukraine use ordinary FPV drones for these attacks? Not exactly. On the front lines, both armies use similar drones that are typically controlled via radio signals, which limits their range to about 15 kilometers (nine miles). Recently, both sides — especially the Ukrainian Armed Forces — have begun using relay systems mounted on larger drones to extend the range of kamikaze drones to 20 or even 30 kilometers (about 12–19 miles). But in Sunday’s attacks on Russian air bases, it appears that the operators were located thousands of kilometers away from the targets. Most likely , the drones — and the mechanisms used to open the containers they were housed in — were equipped with mobile modems using Russian SIM cards. Additionally, the drones were running ArduPilot , a commercial UAV autopilot system, as seen in the control interface shown in SBU-released videos. The autopilot helps compensate for delays and other issues associated with long-distance control over mobile networks. This isn’t entirely new: both Ukrainian and Russian forces have previously used mobile networks on enemy territory, including on later versions of Russia’s long-range Geran drones equipped with video cameras. What is new is the operation’s complexity: the drones were loaded with explosives inside Russia and launched close to their targets, apparently without any human assistance on the ground near the air bases. The response from Z-world Russia’s ‘Pearl Harbor’ How pro-war Telegram channels are reacting to Ukraine’s drone attack on Russian air bases That level of sophistication makes similar attacks difficult to scale. According to Ukrainian officials, this particular strike took a year and a half to prepare. Among other issues, it’s unlikely that trucks packed with drones can be reused for future missions. However, small drones equipped with mobile modems — because they’re cheap, easy to get, and hard to defend against — could become a broader security issue not just in Russia and Ukraine, but in other countries as well. In Ukraine, efforts are underway to filter traffic on mobile networks to prevent them from being used to control hostile drones — though it’s unclear how effective this is. In Russia, the response has been to shut down mobile service temporarily to protect sensitive political events (such as Russia’s May 9 Victory Day parade) or high-value targets. But in the long term, blanket outages aren’t sustainable for social and economic reasons. It’s possible that the Russian authorities will now begin cutting mobile service more frequently near air bases — at least during times when a large number of aircraft are present. How much damage did the attack do to Russia’s war machine? And what will it mean for Moscow’s current offensive? These strikes are unlikely to have much impact on the overall course of the war — even if the actual bomber losses are significantly higher than what’s been confirmed through visual evidence. Russia’s Tu-95 bombers — along with its Tu-160s, which were not targeted — form the backbone of the air-based component of Russia’s strategic forces. This branch of the nuclear triad has traditionally been the weakest (the others are the ground-based and submarine-launched systems). Its role is largely symbolic. However, unlike submarines or intercontinental ballistic missile systems, these aircraft can also carry conventional weapons, primarily cruise missiles. Similarly, the main role of the Tu-22 long-range bombers, which are not part of the strategic forces, is to strike enemy carrier groups with nuclear payloads. But they, too, can be used for conventional bombing with unguided bombs (not an option in the current war due to air defense threats) or cruise missile strikes. In the war against Ukraine, these bombers have mainly been used to carry cruise missiles, but their role has been secondary. In recent years, Russia’s military has relied more on ballistic missiles and long-range drones — partly because cruise missiles are vulnerable to air defenses and fighter jets, and partly because missile supplies are limited. In any case, there are far more bombers available than needed for current operations. From the first year of the war, bombers have proved vulnerable to air base strikes. Previous Ukrainian drone attacks had already destroyed or damaged several Tu-22s and one Tu-95. As a result, Russian commanders began relocating them to remote bases in Siberia and the Kola Peninsula. Before each new wave of strikes on Ukraine, a few bombers would be flown into airfields in central Russia. It’s unlikely that this sabotage operation involving drone-packed trucks will fundamentally change how Russia uses its long-range aviation in the war. Russia and Ukraine’s latest negotiations Still no ceasefire Russia and Ukraine swap peace memos and agree to new prisoner exchange in second round of Istanbul talks Still — these bombers are part of Russia’s strategic nuclear forces. Shouldn’t we expect Russia to respond with a nuclear strike? No, we shouldn’t. While Russia did amend its nuclear doctrine last year to lower the threshold for using nuclear weapons — now explicitly including large-scale drone attacks as a possible trigger — this doesn’t mean a response is automatic. First, the doctrine doesn’t legally bind the Russian leadership to any strict procedures when deciding whether to launch a strike — they’re free to act based on the circumstances. Second, even the latest and most hardline version of the doctrine doesn’t clearly apply in this case. The drone strikes on air bases did not disrupt Russia’s ability to retaliate with nuclear force, nor did they pose a threat to “the very existence of the state,” one of the key thresholds cited in the doctrine. That said, a strike — especially one carried out that brings no major response from Russia — on bases linked to the nuclear triad is significant in military-strategic terms. For years, Western policymakers have debated whether Putin’s “red lines” can actually be crossed: Should Russia’s nuclear threats, whether explicit or implied, shape decisions about aid to Ukraine? Or should those threats be treated as bluffs? The SBU is likely trying to prove the latter. What ‘Spiderweb’ reveals about Russia’s nukes Untangling Operation ‘Spiderweb’ Arms control expert Pavel Podvig explains what Ukraine’s surprise drone strikes reveal about Russia’s strategic nuclear forces…

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Ukraine’s Security Service says it carried out underwater attack to blow up Crimean Bridge supports

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On Tuesday, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) said it had carried out an operation to blow up the underwater supports of the Crimean Bridge. While the SBU claimed the bridge was in “critical condition,” traffic was only suspended briefly before being restored — until Russian Telegram channels reported a second suspension and signs of a renewed attack. Here’s what we know so far. Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) claims it has carried out a “new and unique special operation” to damage the supports of the Crimean Bridge with an underwater explosion. In a statement, the SBU said its operatives planted explosives on the bridge’s supports over the course of several months and detonated the “first explosive device,” with an estimated yield of around 1,100 kilograms in TNT equivalent, on Tuesday, June 3 at 4:44 a.m. local time. According to the SBU, the blast damaged the underwater sections of the bridge’s supports. “The bridge is now in critical condition,” the press release states. No civilians were injured. The operation was personally overseen by SBU chief Vasyl Malyuk, the agency said. “God loves a trinity, and the SBU always finishes what it starts — and never repeats itself. We hit the Crimean Bridge twice before, in 2022 and 2023. Today we continued that tradition — this time underwater,” Malyuk said. A Telegram channel that monitors the bridge reported around 6:00 a.m. Moscow time that traffic had been temporarily suspended, but said it was restored by 9:00 a.m. As of 2:00 p.m., there were no lines at the checkpoint on the Kerch side, and about 120 vehicles were waiting on the Taman side, according to the channel. Around 3:30 p.m., the same Telegram channel again reported a temporary suspension of traffic. At the same time, monitoring channels and Russian pro-war outlets began reporting a renewed attack on the bridge. “They’re breaking through the [boom] defenses,” one channel wrote. The Telegram channel Mash reported on Tuesday that a Ukrainian drone was shot down over the bridge around 6:00 a.m., and its debris landed on the road. Vehicles were crossing the bridge from the Taman side at the time, but no injuries were reported, and according to Mash, there was no damage. The bridge was closed for three hours while specialists inspected the site and cleared the debris. In October 2022, an explosion on the Crimean Bridge caused part of the road section to collapse and set fire to a train hauling fuel on the railway section. Five people were killed in the blast. In August 2023, Malyuk described the October attack as “one of the SBU’s operations.” On the night of July 17, 2023, the bridge was attacked by naval drones. A couple traveling across it in a car was killed in the blast, and their 14-year-old daughter was injured. The SBU later revealed details of the operation and shared footage of the strike with CNN. According to Malyuk, the attack was carried out using an experimental surface drone loaded with 850 kilograms of explosives. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly called the Crimean Bridge an illegal structure and therefore a legitimate target — particularly because the Russian military uses it as a key supply route.…

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Russia strikes central Sumy in northeastern Ukraine, killing at least three and injuring over a dozen

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Update: Ukraine’s State Emergency Service later clarified that three people were killed and 16 others injured in the strike. Russian forces struck central Sumy, a city in northeastern Ukraine, killing at least two people and injuring about 20 others, according to local authorities. The attack involved multiple rocket launch systems, officials said, with at least five strikes recorded across the city. A medical facility, several vehicles, and residential buildings were damaged. Among the injured was a 17-year-old, and some victims were in serious condition, the administration said. The Sumy Regional Prosecutor’s Office reported that four children were among the wounded.…

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Kremlin ‘angry and alarmed’ after Ukrainian ‘Spiderweb’ drone operation hits Russian air bases — Bloomberg

24 hours ago

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The Ukrainian drone attack on Russian air bases, carried out as part of operation “Spiderweb,” left the Kremlin “angry and alarmed” over the unexpected vulnerability of its air fleet far from the front lines, Bloomberg reported , citing sources in Moscow. Ukrainian officials claimed that 41 aircraft were damaged in the operation. A Bloomberg source estimated the number as closer to 10. Still, the outlet’s sources noted that only a handful of bombers are required to carry out strikes on Ukraine, meaning the frequency of Russian attacks is unlikely to decrease. According to The New York Times, which cited American and European security officials, damage assessments are still ongoing, but preliminary estimates suggest that about 20 aircraft may have sustained serious damage. These reportedly include six Tu-95 and four Tu-22M strategic bombers, as well as A-50 early warning radar planes. U.S. officials added that the Trump administration had not been notified in advance of the strike — something previously reported by other outlets as well. American officials, the NYT reported, are expecting a “significant retaliation” from Russia. U.S. intelligence has not yet determined what targets Moscow might select, but officials believe the Kremlin could resume drone strikes on civilian infrastructure, target Ukraine’s power grid, or launch more waves of intermediate-range ballistic missiles. the operation Ukraine says it destroyed dozens of Russian warplanes in its unprecedented ‘Spiderweb’ operation. Here’s what the footage shows.…

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Zelensky’s chief of staff lands in U.S. as part of Ukrainian delegation

1 day ago

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Andriy Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian president’s office, has arrived in the United States as part of a Ukrainian delegation. The delegation is led by Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, Yermak said. It also includes representatives from the Defense Ministry and the president’s office. “We will actively push forward issues that are critical for Ukraine. Our agenda is quite comprehensive. We plan to discuss defense support and the situation on the battlefield, strengthening sanctions against Russia — including Senator [Lindsey] Graham’s bill — as well as the agreement to establish a recovery investment fund that was previously signed,” Yermak wrote. He added that the delegation also plans to raise the issue of returning Ukrainian children who were illegally deported to Russia.…

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Russian strikes hit multiple Ukrainian regions overnight, injuring civilians

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Russian forces carried out overnight strikes on several regions of Ukraine, including Odesa and Chernihiv, leaving several people injured, according to regional officials. In the city of Odesa, four people were injured, according to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service. The regional governor, Oleh Kiper, later said five people had been wounded. Residential buildings and civilian infrastructure were damaged in the attack, and several vehicles caught fire, Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov said . In the Chernihiv region, four people — two women and two men — sustained serious injuries, according to Dmytro Bryzhynskyi, the head of the city’s military administration. A private home was destroyed in the strike, and an apartment building, several other private homes, a school, and an industrial facility were also damaged. In the suburbs of Kharkiv, a postal terminal was hit, the emergency service reported . The strike ignited a fire that spread to two warehouse buildings and nearby containers. No casualties were reported. In the Poltava region, local authorities said debris from downed drones damaged a building belonging to a non-operational municipal enterprise in the Poltava district.…

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Untangling Operation ‘Spiderweb’. Arms control expert Pavel Podvig explains what Ukraine’s surprise drone strikes reveal about Russia’s strategic nuclear forces

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Drones used in Ukraine’s Operation “Spiderweb” On June 1, Ukraine attacked Russian military airfields with hundreds of drones as part of Operation “Spiderweb.” According to Ukrainian media reports, the drones hit at least four different airfields, striking targets in the Irkutsk, Murmansk, Ryazan, and Ivanovo regions. Kyiv claims to have hit 41 strategic aircraft, though Meduza is unable to verify this information. President Volodymyr Zelensky said preparations for the surprise operation began 18 months prior. He stated that “Spiderweb” was coordinated from inside Russia, at an “office” near one of the Federal Security Service's regional headquarters. “This represents our most extensive long-range operation to date. Of course, we can't reveal everything now, but these Ukrainian actions will definitely be in the history books,” Zelensky said, calling the operation's result “absolutely brilliant.” Meduza spoke to Pavel Podvig , director of the Russian Nuclear Forces Project, to learn more about Russia’s strategic aviation and its role in Russia's broader military strategy. Meduza in English translated and summarized Podvig’s remarks. Speaking to Meduza’s daily news podcast, Chto Sluchilos , nuclear arms control expert Pavel Podvig said Ukraine’s “Spiderweb” drone attacks “obviously inflicted notable damage,” including less tangible psychological effects on Russia’s armed forces. It’s still unclear exactly how many Russian aircraft the operation managed to destroy, but available evidence shows that multiple Tu-95 strategic bombers were damaged, likely beyond repair. At the same time, Podvig noted that Ukraine seems to have been careful to limit its drone strikes to “bombers that actually participate in attacks on Ukrainian territory,” ignoring some of Russia’s key strategic bomber bases. For example, Ukraine apparently targeted no Tu-160 bombers, which Moscow reportedly has not used in attacks against Ukraine. This caution does not necessarily mean that the Zelensky administration warned Washington about the operation. For example, it’s possible that Kyiv did attempt strikes against other airfields; indeed, some reports suggest that a semi-truck carrying Ukrainian drones caught fire before reaching Russia’s strategic “Ukrainka” long-range airbase in the Amur region. Ukrainian military leaders have already tested Moscow’s “red lines” on nuclear deterrence, launching drones at Russian strategic early-warning radar sites in late May 2024. “We don’t know all the behind-the-scenes conversations,” Podvig told Meduza, commenting on that earlier operation. “I think that at some point, the United States probably hinted to Ukraine that they need to be careful with certain targets.” The “Spiderweb” attacks likely required no special intelligence necessitating American involvement, Podvig said. The FPV-drone operators reportedly selected their targets directly, and “a person sitting on a hill with binoculars” would have been sufficient reconnaissance to confirm the presence of the warplanes. Russia’s nuclear triad Podvig rejected claims that Ukraine’s drone attacks might be used to justify a nuclear counterattack under Russia’s national security doctrine. He argued that “Spiderweb” poses no threat to Russia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, nor does it endanger the retaliatory potential of the country’s strategic forces, especially because bombers play “at best a supporting role” in retaliatory strike scenarios: This entire so-called “strategic triad,” the reason it exists, the reason it has such symbolic significance, is that this is how it developed at the time. This was the 1950s and the 1960s. Ultimately, it turned out this way. In the United States, they had their own reasons for the rivalry between different branches of the military. In the Soviet Union, there was something similar, but essentially, they copied the United States and adopted its experience. But they didn’t copy everything. Yes, both sides developed ground-based intercontinental missiles, both of which were silo-based. The Soviet Union, however, created mobile missiles, which Russia still maintains today. Also, there's a fleet of strategic submarines with ballistic missiles on board — this is the basis of deterrent forces (the basis of forces that should ensure a retaliatory strike in case of a nuclear attack). Things get more complicated if we’re talking about deterrence or escalation management, but overall, the basis of nuclear forces is ballistic missiles, either ground-based or on submarines. The role of aviation is also invaluable, its primary significance lying specifically in demonstrating power, desire, and the readiness to act. And it is in this capacity that strategic aviation has been used in recent years. Podvig reminded Meduza that strategic bombers on airborne alert patrols do not actually carry live thermonuclear weapons. On President Putin’s orders, Russia resumed these flights in August 2007; however, warplanes fly with mock ordnance or none at all. “In the Soviet Union, as I understand it, there was never a practice of patrolling with real nuclear warheads,” Podvig explained. He told Meduza that he is aware of a Soviet aircraft landing with nuclear weapons on board literally only once — when a malfunction during a weapons test forced the plane back to the airfield before it could drop the bomb. Further reading The last remaining U.S.–Russia nuclear treaty expires in less than a year. A new arms race has already begun. Arms control limits On social media, some observers have claimed that the New START Treaty, which expires in February 2026, requires Russia to keep its strategic bombers uncovered and in view of satellites. However, Podvig told Meduza that the agreement places no restrictions on hiding these aircraft under “environmental shelter,” which includes hangars. The only circumstance under which an aircraft must be displayed in the open, he explained, is when either Moscow or Washington wishes to declare that it has eliminated that particular warplane from its fleet. “There’s a great photograph of one of these boneyards in the United States in Arizona, where these B-52s are lying there, all cut up into pieces neatly,” Podvig said, referring to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson. Asked if Russia might try to claim the bombers destroyed in Ukraine’s drone strikes as warplanes dismantled under New START, he said it would likely be possible under the treaty, at least technically. A new era of asymmetric warfare? With a few truckloads of inexpensive drones, Ukraine managed to inflict significant damage on war machines that were key to Soviet national security in the Cold War. What prevents Kyiv from mounting similar attacks against Russian nuclear silos, nuclear submarines, and missile carriers? In his interview with Meduza, Pavel Podvig said Operation “Spiderweb” reveals the inadequacy of classic military machinery: Yes, you can build bombers, missiles, submarines, and other things, but still, the question ultimately arises: what does this give you? When you really think about it, I think the answer is that this whole military machine is basically useless. If you encounter an opponent who really resists and can really inflict damage, then they’ll find a way to do it, and all these high-tech systems won’t help you at all. The basic point is that eventually you’ll have to pursue constructive engagement, diplomatic resolution, and non-military solutions. At the same time, Podvig questioned the benefits of such attacks on Russia’s strategic arsenal, arguing that shock and awe in eastern Siberia does not liberate the Donbas, psychological effects notwithstanding: Let’s imagine that Ukraine did attack a submarine base or a ballistic missile site — then what? What advantages would this give Ukraine on the battlefield? How would this help them end the war on terms that are acceptable to them? […] We find ourselves back to the same point: you probably can’t say that this attack will have no impact, but I also don’t see how it’s going to change anything strategically. Podvig recalled Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region last year — another bold operation that surprised the world. “It certainly influenced the trajectory of subsequent developments to some degree,” he said, “but in the end, if you ask whether that operation led to any strategic result, I think the answer would probably be no.” Interview by Vladislav Gorin Summary for Meduza in English by Kevin Rothrock…

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Still no ceasefire. Russia and Ukraine swap peace memos and agree to new prisoner exchange in second round of Istanbul talks

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Russia and Ukraine agreed to hold another prisoner exchange and return the bodies of thousands of fallen soldiers during peace talks on Monday in Istanbul. The negotiations, which lasted about an hour and took place behind closed doors, marked the second round of direct talks between the two sides since March 2022. The delegations also exchanged memoranda on a possible ceasefire , officials said. Kyiv submitted its peace memorandum to Moscow ahead of the talks. Meanwhile, Russian delegation leader Vladimir Medinsky, a Kremlin aide, said Russia handed over its memorandum to Turkish officials who hosted the talks. According to Medinsky, the document outlines steps toward a possible ceasefire and conditions for “real long-term peace.” Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who led the Ukrainian delegation, said Kyiv will take a week to study the Russian memorandum before deciding how to proceed. After the talks concluded, Russian state media published the full text of the Kremlin memorandum on Telegram. Earlier, an anonymous Ukrainian official told Axios that the document outlines Russia’s “usual” demands, including the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from regions Moscow claims to have annexed but does not fully control. The text of Ukraine’s peace proposal was previously obtained by Reuters and the Financial Times . Both sides agreed to exchange seriously injured and ill prisoners of war, captives under age 25, and the bodies of 12,000 fallen soldiers , Umerov said at a press conference after Monday’s talks. Medinsky said the upcoming swap would be the largest since the war began and would involve between 1,000 and 1,200 prisoners. The first round of talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul on May 16 resulted in a “1,000-for-1,000” prisoner exchange , the largest of the war to date. Later on Monday, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine aims to bring back up to 1,200 captives during the next prisoner swap. READ MORE ABOUT THE LAST SWAP ‘We could not influence the list’ In Russia and Ukraine’s biggest prisoner swap of the war, Moscow returned a defector and prisoners already slated for deportation While Umerov said the two sides agreed to a “6,000-for-6,000” exchange of fallen soldiers’ remains, Medinsky said Russia would “unilaterally” hand over 6,000 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers and officers to Ukraine next week. Russia also proposed a ceasefire for two or three days in some areas of the front line to allow the sides to collect the bodies of fallen soldiers , Medinsky said. “We want to create conditions for the bodies of the dead to be collected and right there, on the spot, quickly transferred to the opposing side for a Christian burial,” he told reporters. President Zelensky later pushed back against the idea. “They are ready for a ceasefire for two or three days to collect the dead from the battlefield. I think they’re idiots, because a ceasefire is so that there are no dead,” he said during an online press briefing . “For them, this is a matter of a small pause in the war.” The Ukrainian delegation also gave the Russian side a list of Ukrainian children who were deported to Russia during the war, demanding their return, Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said after the talks. “We’re talking about hundreds of children who were illegally deported, forcibly transferred, or are being held in temporarily occupied territories. The return of these children is an inseparable part of a just and lasting peace and a key element of trust. It’s the first test of whether Russia’s intentions are sincere. We’re waiting for a response. The ball is in Russia’s court,” he wrote on Telegram. According to The Economist correspondent Oliver Carroll, citing an informed source, Medinsky responded to the list by saying, “Don’t put on a show for bleeding-heart European old ladies with no children of their own.” Ukrainian side passed on list of 100s of children deported to Russia. A source with knowledge of the exchanges says head of Russian delegation Vladimir Medinsky responded thus: “Don’t put on a show for bleeding-heart European old ladies with no children of their own" (2/3) — Oliver Carroll (@olliecarroll) June 2, 2025 In March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants against Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova , Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights. The warrants accused them of overseeing the illegal deportations of children from Ukraine’s occupied territories to Russia. Speaking to the press after Monday’s talks, Medinsky said that Kyiv had given Moscow a list of 339 Ukrainian children, though he denied that Russia had abducted them. He then accused Ukrainian officials of turning the issue into a “shameful show aimed at compassionate Europeans.” Nevertheless, he said that Russia was “satisfied” with the outcome of the second round of talks. According to the Financial Times, the Ukrainian delegation said that Russia rejected its proposals for an unconditional ceasefire and for the United States to become more involved in the talks. Earlier, Zelensky had proposed a three-way meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump. In turn, Trump said he would meet with Zelensky and Putin if needed. Ukraine proposed that the delegations meet again between June 20 and 30. Umerov said that the next round of talks should be aimed at brokering a meeting between the two countries’ leaders, with the possible involvement of “other leaders, in particular, the U.S. President.” However, the timing and format of the next round of negotiations remain unclear. Commenting on the results of Monday’s talks, a senior Ukrainian official told the Financial Times that the sides appeared to be “staging a picture of diplomacy for Trump.” READ MORE ABOUT THE LAST TALKS ‘We’re prepared to fight forever. How about you?’ Moscow opens first direct talks with Ukraine in three years by threatening endless war and new land grabs…

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Russia’s ‘Pearl Harbor’. How pro-war Telegram channels are reacting to Ukraine’s drone attack on Russian air bases

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