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Operation Spider-Web a success and Russia won't agree to a ceasefire [1]

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Date: 2025-06-02

By now you've heard of the success of Ukraine's drone strikes that either destroyed or damaged 40 of the 120 bombers Russia has. It's being called Operation Spider-Web.

The attack occurred in across several time zones in 5 regions: Murmansk, above the Arctic Circle, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan and Amur, which is 5,000 miles from Ukraine.

The drones were smuggled into Russia inside wooden cabins carried on flatbed trucks, and concealed below remotely operated detachable roofs. 117 drones in all.

Roof assembly to be mounted on the cabins. Source: Ukraine SBU.

The trucks were driven to locations by drivers who were ignorant of their cargo. When it was time, the roofs slid open and the drones flew out, each with its own operator.

According to unverified reports by Russian Telegram channel Baza --- which is known for it's links to security services --- the drivers of the trucks all told similar stories of being booked by businessmen to deliver the wooden cabins in various locations around Russia. Some of them said that they got further instructions by phone on where to park the trucks; when they did so, they were stunned to see the drones fly out of them.

Volodomyr Zelenskyy, who directly supervised the operation, said that the planning had been going on for 18 months.

He said that one of the targeted locations was right next to one of the offices of the FSB Russian security services.

Russia says it has detained people over the attack, but Zelenskyy says that all his people had been withdrawn from Russian territory and were now safe.

According to Ukraine, 41 strategic bombers were hit, and at least 13 destroyed.

The strategic missile-carrying bombers bombers targeted in the attack are thought to be --- among others --- Tu-95, Tu-22 and Tu-160. Repairing them will be difficult and, because none of them is in production, replacing them will be impossible.

A-50 spy planes were also targeted, and Russia only has eight of them. If any of them were damaged or lost, this is a big problem for Russia.

"Of course, nothing can be revealed at this moment, but these are Ukrainian actions that will undoubtedly be in history books," Zelenskyy said in a post on Telegram.

Zelenskyy met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte today:

It was not good news about the ceasefire, but there was a deal to exchange prisoners of war and war dead. Lists of hundreds of children kidnapped to Russia were handed over to the Russians. Putin has a war criminal warrant out on him by the International Criminal Court for this very action.

The Russian team said it had proposed a two - or three day truce in "certain areas" of the vast line, but no other details.

A short truce is totally worthless. Zelenskyy demands an unconditional ceasefire for at least 30 days on land, sea, and air. What a "truce" means to the Russians, we can only guess.

Russia still demands Ukraine to withdraw from the four areas Russia annexed and international recognition that the four regions are part of Russia. Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. Zaporizhzhia contains Ukraine's and Europe's largest nuclear power plant, which has been a problem with shelling throughout the war, but the containment shells have withstood the attacks.

Russia wants a ban on Ukraine's military alliances, a limit on the size of Ukraine's army, make Russian the official language, and the lifting of international sanctions on Russia.

They don't ask for much, do they? The demands are ridiculous. The Russians want everything, like they should be rewarded for starting and conducting the war.

So far, there are no signs of a meeting happening between Putin and Zelenskyy.

Ukraine's negotiators expect a response from Russia to their proposals by the end of June. How can this work out when Ukraine wants all their territory back, including Crimea?

Russia is not negotiating, they are demanding. Operation Spider-Web shows that Zelenskyy still holds some cards, no matter how useless Trump and the U.S. are in this. After Trump's angry attack on Putin, what Trump should do is send Ukraine all the weaponry and ammunition he stopped since March 6th. There should be an outcry by the press and citizens, but Trump keeps redirecting our attention elsewhere with his insanities. Hard to cry out for others when you need to take care of yourself.

Trump should be pressed to impose additional sanctions. Stop Russia's shadow fleet of oil tankers from giving Russia the money it needs to wage war. I'm surprised there hasn't been a movement in Russia itself to end the war. People can only be fooled by propaganda for so long until someone they know is war dead.

Three and a quarter years this war has gone on. Putin has 20% of Ukraine's territory and Crimea. He can't be rewarded for being a criminal. We've seen how that works out with Trump. Zelenskyy and Ukraine have won a victory taking out the bombers. The only way to get Putin to give up is to take out something important. Ukraine or somebody in Russia got drones close to the Kremlin a long time ago. Putin keeps targeting Kyiv. It's time to do the same to Moscow.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/6/2/2325629/-Operation-Spider-Web-a-success-and-Russia-won-t-agree-to-a-ceasefire?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=trending&pm_medium=web

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