Key Points – In promised retaliation for Ukraine’s “Operation Spiderweb” drone strike, Russia launched a massive overnight aerial assault on Ukrainian cities on Friday, June 6th.
-The hours-long attack involved over 400 drones and dozens of ballistic and cruise missiles targeting multiple regions, from Lviv in the west to Sumy in the northeast.
-At least four civilians, including three emergency responders, were killed in Kyiv. While Russia claimed it targeted military infrastructure, residential buildings and schools were also hit.
-Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the scale of the attack but stated that his air force successfully downed 406 projectiles, including 32 cruise missiles.
Putin’s “Spider’s Web” Retaliation Was Extreme, But Ukraine Fared Well
Russia launched a sweeping overnight assault on Ukrainian cities in the early hours of Friday, June 6, unleashing hundreds of drones and missiles on urban population centers across the country.
The attack appears to be its promised retaliation for Ukraine’s shock Operation Spider’s Web drone strike last weekend.
The Ukrainian operation, which was 18 months in the making, targeted four air bases deep inside Russia, with officials in Kyiv claiming 41 bombers were destroyed or damaged.
U.S. officials have since revised that figure down to about 20 aircraft.
Regardless of the exact toll, the attack hit a nerve. In a call with U.S. President Donald Trump this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he had to respond militarily before peace talks could continue.
Russia Pounds Ukrainian Cities All Over Again
In one of its largest aerial assaults of the war so far, Russia launched more than 400 drones and dozens of missiles across Ukraine in the early hours of the morning on Friday.
The barrage stretched from Lviv in the west to Sumy in the northeast. Kyiv, Lutsk, Ternopil, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, and Luhansk were also placed under air raid alerts.
Explosions rocked the capital city for hours as Ukraine’s scarce air defense systems scrambled to intercept waves of incoming drones.
“From the centre of the city, prolonged bursts of machine gun fire could be heard as air defences on the outskirts attempted to bring down scores of drones aimed at the capital,” Ian Casey and Paul Adams reported for the BBC. “Bright flashes of light, sometimes reflected on nearby buildings, would be followed, five or 10 seconds later, by thunderous explosions.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the assault killed four people and wounded at least 80 more.
“The number of people injured may increase,” Zelenskyy also warned in a post on X.
Among those killed were three emergency services workers, according to the Ukrainian president, while Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko later said that four had died in Kyiv alone.
Zelenskyy also confirmed that the attack involved more than 400 drones and over 40 missiles, with Ukraine’s air force allegedly shooting down 406 projectiles in total, including 32 cruise missiles and four of six ballistic missiles. Two ballistic missiles also reportedly failed to reach their targets.
Russia’s defense ministry confirmed that the attack was a response to “terrorist acts by the Kyiv regime,” a nod to Operation Spider’s Web, and claimed that all drones and missiles were aimed at Ukrainian military infrastructure.
In Ternopil, local officials described the assault as the “most massive air attack on our region to date.” Five people were injured in Lutsk, and reports suggest that residential buildings, schools, and government facilities were damaged in the strikes.
Despite the destruction, many in Kyiv voiced support for their government’s surprise drone strikes in Russia. One resident told CNN, “It didn’t break us at all,” adding, “Maybe the retaliation is yet to come. Either way, it doesn’t change our attitude towards the enemy or towards our country.”
About the Author:
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society. His latest book is The Truth Teller: RFK Jr. and the Case for a Post-Partisan Presidency.
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June 6, 2025 at 10:30 pm
Putin is completely useless !
He’s needs to nuke the ukros, now, today, before the so-called Ep files takes down trump.
Putin needs to destroy the nazis not just for the drone strikes on Russian planes but also for repeated attacks on the kerch bridge and railroad bridges.
Seems that Putin doesn’t care much for either the Russian people or the Russian army.
To hell, hell with Putin.
Zelenskyy clearly understands Putin is just only a coward and a numbskull, thus he’s rejecting all demands to leave Donbass.
Zelenskyy isn’t interested in peace, he knows if he drags the trouble with Russia long enough, he will eventually get NATO to intervene. So, ww3.
Zelenskyy is as tough and stubborn as a somali wild donkey. But Putin’s unaware of it. Putin is now fightin’ a 21st century version of Adolf Hitler.
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