U.S. President Donald Trump expressed the opinion that the actions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces regarding the attack on Russian military airfields provided Russia with a basis to carry out a massive missile strike on Ukrainian territory. He made this statement in a conversation with reporters aboard Air Force One late on the evening of June 6.
This is reported by Kyiv24
“They gave Putin a reason to go and bomb them last night (i.e., June 6 – ed.). So I didn’t like it (presumably, Ukraine’s operation on June 1 – ed.). When I saw it, I said: ‘Now there will be a strike'”
Trump was responding to questions about Ukraine’s special operation called “Web,” which was conducted on June 1. During that operation, Ukrainian drones struck several Russian military airfields using drones that were hidden in truck trailers. According to the Security Service of Ukraine, more than 40 Russian military aircraft were destroyed during this operation.
Losses of Russian aviation and expert assessments
The British International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) released an analytical assessment of the consequences of the Ukrainian attack on June 6. According to experts, 12 aircraft were destroyed during the operation, and two more were damaged. Additionally, seven more aircraft may have sustained damage, but there is currently no way to confirm this information.
Massive airstrike and its consequences
On the night of June 6, the Russian army carried out a massive bombardment of Ukrainian territory, launching over 400 drones and more than 40 missiles of various types. This was reported by the command of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. A significant portion of the enemy’s assets were shot down; however, nine regions of Ukraine and Kyiv were hit.
As a result of the attack, at least seven people were killed: three rescuers in the capital, a young couple in Lutsk, and two others in Chernihiv.
At the same time, in terms of casualties, this strike significantly lags behind previous combined attacks by Russia using missiles and drones. In particular, during the shelling of Kryvyi Rih on April 4, 21 people were killed, including nine children, and 75 were injured. During the attack on Sumy on April 13, 35 people were killed, and another 127 were injured. Both of these strikes occurred before the Ukrainian operation “Web” was conducted.