Overview

• Russia launched over 400 attack drones and 40 ballistic missiles in a large-scale retaliatory strike that killed at least four people in Kyiv and wounded dozens more across multiple regions.
• Ukraine’s covert Operation Spiderweb deployed 117 low-cost FPV drones to hit four airbases in Siberia and the Arctic, damaging or destroying 10 to 20 Tu-95 and Tu-22M bombers and a nearby fuel depot.
• The rapid back-and-forth of drone and missile attacks marks a new phase of escalation in unmanned warfare, with both sides exploiting low-cost technologies for deep-strike operations.
• Direct peace talks in Istanbul have produced no ceasefire agreement as military reprisals harden Russia’s negotiating position and raise doubts about diplomatic progress.
• President Trump, initially calling Ukraine’s strike “strong,” has since voiced concerns over timing and faces criticism for a sanctions strategy seen as too lenient toward Moscow.