According to a report by The Kyiv Independent on June 4, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin “will have to respond” to Ukraine’s recent drone strikes targeting key Russian military airbases.
This comment followed a phone conversation between the two leaders lasting about one hour and fifteen minutes.
After the call, Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social that they discussed the drone attack on Russian aircraft stationed at several military bases, along with other ongoing hostilities between the two countries. While describing the discussion as “a good conversation,” Trump tempered expectations by clarifying it would not lead to an immediate peace deal. He emphasized that Putin made it clear he intends to retaliate, though Trump did not specify how or if the U.S. urged caution.
The drone strike, codenamed Operation Spiderweb, was launched by Ukraine on June 1 and represented a major escalation in the conflict. The carefully planned mission, which took approximately 18 months to prepare under the supervision of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), involved 117 drones deployed from concealed trucks inside Russian territory. These unmanned drones struck four major Russian airbases — Olenya, Ivanovo, Dyagilevo, and Belaya — damaging 41 aircraft, including heavy bombers and the rare A-50 reconnaissance plane.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed on June 3 that Putin had been briefed and that an investigation was underway. Trump initially remained silent on the strikes for several days, with the White House later clarifying that Ukraine had not informed Trump beforehand.
Trump’s Special Envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, warned on Fox News that the attack risked escalating the conflict further, noting the dangers involved when striking strategic military assets tied to national security.
The strikes coincided with an intense wave of Russian aerial bombardments on Ukrainian cities, highlighting the tit-for-tat nature of the war. President Zelensky stressed that Ukraine would not have launched the operation if Russia had accepted previous ceasefire offers made since March.
The drone attack came just one day before the second round of peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow in Istanbul on June 2 — talks praised by the U.S. as progress, partly due to Trump’s diplomatic role. However, Putin dismissed further negotiations on June 4, accusing Ukraine’s government of relying on terror tactics and stating Moscow no longer seeks peace.
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