Russia executed the retaliation Putin promised Trump during their June 4th phone call, launching 407 drones and 44 missiles overnight against Ukrainian cities. The strike killed four civilians in Kyiv and wounded twenty-three, with three rescue workers dying during cleanup operations. Russia's Defense Ministry explicitly claimed the attack was revenge for Ukraine's "Spider Web" operation against airbases.
Ukrainian media reported that replacing Russia's lost bombers from Spider Web will take years, suggesting the operation achieved lasting damage despite Moscow's retaliation claims. The White House reportedly reconsidered Ukraine support after the drone strikes on Russian bases, while Trump privately opposed harsh sanctions against Russia according to Wall Street Journal sources.
By evening, Ukrainian officials briefed Americans on Russia's true intentions to expand the war beyond current boundaries. State investigators charged three former defense ministers from the Yanukovych era with treason for selling weapons Ukraine's military lacked in 2014 and still lacks today.