Russia has vowed to repair the warplanes damaged by Ukraine in a major drone attack, with officials stating that while the aircraft were ‘not destroyed,’ they sustained significant damage. The attacks, part of Ukraine’s ‘Operation Spider’s Web,’ targeted multiple Russian airfields, with satellite imagery and video footage showing extensive destruction of the planes.
According to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov, the aircraft were ‘not destroyed but damaged’ and will be repaired. The US estimates that up to 20 planes were hit and 10 destroyed, while Russia maintains that the damage is repairable. This comes amid ongoing hostilities, with Ukraine conducting additional strikes and Russia threatening retaliation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy personally oversaw the strike, which sources told Fox News was more than 18 months in the making. The White House confirmed that the Trump administration was not informed about the attack in advance. On Tuesday, the Ukrainian Security Service said Ukraine carried out a massive underwater blast targeting a bridge linking Russia to Crimea.
The same day, Zelenskyy said Russia launched a ‘savage strike’ on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy, ‘directly targeting the city and its ordinary streets with rocket artillery.’ President Donald Trump also said he spoke over the phone with President Vladimir Putin, who said Russia would have to respond to the drone strikes.