The Voice News:
As hopes for peace dwindle, the war in Ukraine has escalated dramatically, marked by Kyiv’s most audacious drone attack to date on Russian strategic airbases, and by Moscow’s massive retaliatory airstrikes. Despite ongoing peace talks in Istanbul, the battlefield tells a different story—of mounting destruction, escalating stakes, and stalled diplomacy.
Ukraine Destroys One-Third of Russia’s Strategic Bombers
In what analysts have described as an unprecedented covert operation, Ukraine’s State Security Service (SBU) launched Operation Spiderweb, a highly coordinated drone attack that crippled Russian long-range aviation capabilities. Over 117 drones—smuggled into Russian territory—were launched near five major airbases, targeting strategic bombers including the Tupolev Tu-22M3, Tu-95, and Tu-160, aircraft frequently used to launch cruise missile attacks on Ukrainian cities.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed the mission as “an absolutely brilliant result,” claiming 41 aircraft were hit, which he said represents 34% of Russia’s strategic missile carrier fleet. Ukrainian sources estimate the damage at $7 billion.
Among the key targets:
Olenya Airbase (Russian Arctic): All Tu-95 bombers destroyed.
Belaya Airbase (Irkutsk): Three Tu-95 bombers hit, over 4,000km from Ukraine.
Dyagilevo Airbase (Ryazan): Near Moscow; significant damage reported.
Ivanovo Airfield: One A-50 airborne radar aircraft (valued at $500 million) destroyed.
Unnamed airbase near Moscow: Fires and explosions reported.
Open-source analysts and Western military experts have yet to fully verify the destruction of all 41 aircraft. However, fires and secondary explosions at the sites, along with Russian admissions of “several aircraft caught fire” in Irkutsk and Murmansk, lend partial confirmation.
Military analyst Justin Bronk of the Royal United Services Institute told The New York Times, “Even if half of the claims are verified, it could significantly limit Russia’s ability to launch large-scale cruise missile attacks.”
Compounding the blow, Russia is reportedly unable to replace many of these bombers due to its dependency on sanctioned Western components, and an outdated industrial base.
Russia’s Retaliation: Largest Air Raid Yet
Just hours before Ukraine’s drone operation, Russia launched its largest air raid of the war: 472 Iranian-made Shahed kamikaze drones, four cruise missiles, and three ballistic missiles rained down on Ukrainian cities. Ukraine’s air force claimed to have shot down 385 aerial threats.
The scale and timing of both operations underscore a bitter irony—peace talks were underway in Istanbul as both nations escalated to new heights of violence.
Kerch Bridge Hit Again in Underwater Attack
Adding to Moscow’s headaches, Ukraine dealt another blow by targeting the Kerch Bridge, a key supply route linking Russia to occupied Crimea, for the third time. Ukraine reportedly used an underwater unmanned vehicle, triggering an explosion against one of the bridge’s stanchions. Although Russia denied serious damage, video evidence contradicted the claim.
Russian Forces Make Gains Amid Ukrainian Triumphs
Despite its aerial setbacks, Russia is advancing on the ground, particularly in the northern Sumy region. Russian troops captured Konstyantynivka and Oleksiivka, just kilometers from the border, and fired rocket artillery into Sumy city, killing four and injuring 30.
Elsewhere, Moscow’s forces seized Dyliivka and Zorya near Toretsk, and advanced towards Lyman and Kurakhove in eastern Ukraine. The offensive signals a renewed Russian push to secure the Donbas and eastern strongholds, even as its strategic air capacity is crippled.
Stalled Peace Talks and Uncompromising Demands
During the second round of peace talks in Istanbul, Russia presented a memorandum demanding:
Ukraine cede all territory currently under Russian control, including parts not yet fully captured.
A limit on the size of Ukraine’s military.
A ban on foreign military alliances and troop presence on Ukrainian soil.
A national election within 100 days, likely aimed at replacing Zelenskyy.
Ukraine rejected the terms outright, ending the meeting within an hour. Despite this, both sides agreed to a prisoner swap of 1,000–1,200 POWs and the exchange of 6,000 fallen soldiers’ bodies. A third round of talks is scheduled for later in June, with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov proposing that both Putin and Zelenskyy attend.
Russian Security Council Vice-Chair Dmitry Medvedev underscored Moscow’s unyielding stance, declaring on Telegram: “The Istanbul talks are not for compromise, but for ensuring our swift victory and the destruction of the neo-Nazi regime.”
U.S. Congress Pushes Sanctions Amid Trump’s Silence
While President Donald Trump has so far declined to impose new sanctions, pressure is mounting in Washington. Senators Sidney Blumenthal and Lindsey Graham are introducing legislation to impose 500% tariffs on any country importing Russian oil, gas, or uranium—a move targeting top buyers like China and India, but potentially affecting EU nations as well.
“The most draconian bill I’ve ever seen,” Graham said, adding that Putin was “preparing for more war” following his recent visit to Kyiv and talks with French President Emmanuel Macron.
A War Reaching Deeper Into Russian Territory
Ukraine’s unprecedented ability to strike thousands of kilometers inside Russia marks a dangerous new phase of the war—one where no corner of the conflict can be insulated from escalation. As diplomacy falters and both militaries ramp up their operations, the prospects for peace grow increasingly remote.
While Ukraine scores strategic victories in the air, Russia presses forward on the ground, and global pressure for a resolution continues to build. Whether Istanbul becomes the site of meaningful negotiation or just another waypoint in a war without end remains to be seen.