Key Points – In promised retaliation for Ukraine’s “Operation Spider’s Web” drone strike, Russia launched a massive overnight aerial assault on Ukrainian cities on Friday, June 6th, involving 499 drones and missiles.
-The attack, described as one of the largest of the war, killed at least three emergency responders in Kyiv and targeted multiple regions. However, Ukraine claimed its air defenses intercepted the majority of the projectiles.
-Weapons Shortage? The event highlights the escalating cycle of violence, with analysts suggesting Russia is “struggling” to deliver a response that truly avenges the significant blow to its strategic bomber fleet, even as a prisoner exchange begins.
Ukraine Claims It Intercepted Most of Russia’s Massive ‘Revenge’ Attack
Russia once again hit Ukraine with a barrage of drones overnight on Monday, which was described by Sky News as a “‘relentless’ five-hour assault,” in a continuing retaliation for Ukraine’s “Operation Spider’s Web” last week.
The drones struck Kyiv, as well as the port city of Odessa.
“They targeted civilian infrastructure and peaceful residents of the city,” Timur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv’s military district, said, per Sky News.
Seven people were killed, and 34 were injured, across Ukraine in the last day.
No Peace in Ukraine
In comments earlier today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the attacks some of the largest Kyiv has suffered since the start of the war, more than three years ago.
He added that the recent attacks will likely “drown out” efforts to continue peace talks and eventually end the war.
“It is vital that the response to this and other similar Russian attacks is not silence from the world, but concrete action,” the Ukrainian president said.
What Does Putin Have Left?
The Russians had promised to retaliate against Ukraine after last week’s attacks, which have now included several days of drone strikes throughout Ukraine. Putin had promised to do so, in a phone call with President Donald Trump, who relayed in a Truth Social post that such a retaliation was coming.
However, CNN asked the question earlier this week of what Putin “has left,” especially after the Operation Spider-Web attack decimated his plane fleet.
“Russia’s response so far to Ukraine’s extraordinary operation has raised questions about Putin’s ability to escalate the war and exact the retribution that many of his supporters have clamored for. And it has left Ukrainians wondering if it has already felt the brunt of Russia’s response, or if the worst is yet to come,” CNN’s Christian Edwards wrote about Russia’s military capabilities at the moment.
CNN added that when Putin recently met with government ministers in which he talked about recent bridge collapses, but did not talk about the Operation Spider Web drone attack. Russian state media has also left out mention of the attack.
“Putin is trying to make this go away and hide this failure yet again,” Kateryna Stepanenko, a Russia analyst at the think tank known as the Institute for the Study of War, told CNN.
Is Russia Running out of Weapons for the Ukraine War?
Then there’s the issue of the Russian side possibly running out of weapons.
“Whereas Russia’s near-daily strikes on Ukraine used to involve just dozens of drones, they now routinely use more than 400. A day before Ukraine’s ‘Spiderweb’ operation, on May 31, Russia launched 472 drones at Ukraine – a record in the three-year war, which was surpassed again during Sunday night’s attacks, which used 479 drones,” CNN said of the current state of Russia’s arsenal.
“Russia’s response is constrained by the amount of force they’re constantly using,” William Alberque of the Simson Center think tank, told CNN.
“How would you know if Russia was actually retaliating? What would be more brutal than them destroying apartment flats or attacking shopping malls? What would escalation look like?”
Prisoners Come Home
Amid the strikes, on Monday, soldiers came home, as a result of the exchanges agreed to earlier this month when Russia and Ukraine sat down for peace talks.
According to CNN, some of the soldiers returned home after spending years in captivity.
“Our people are home,” Zelenskyy said, per CNN. “Ukrainians are returning home from Russian captivity. The exchange began today and will continue in several stages over the next few days.”
“We count on the full implementation of the humanitarian agreements reached during the meeting in Istanbul. We are doing everything possible to bring back every single person. We are working toward this at every level,” the Ukrainian president added.
About the Author:
Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.
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