Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov stated that the Russian bombers struck during Ukraine’s drone attack on June 1 were not completely destroyed, but merely damaged and in repairable condition.
Speaking to the state news agency TASS, Ryabkov said, “According to statements from Defence Ministry officials, the equipment in question was not destroyed, only damaged. It will be repaired.” His remarks contradict claims from Ukrainian and Western sources suggesting that the aircraft were destroyed.
Ukraine: “40 Aircraft Hit, All Destroyed”
Following the attack, Ukraine’s Security Service announced that more than 40 Russian military aircraft had been destroyed. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy supported this claim, stating that the strike was a planned operation targeting air bases deep within Russian territory.
Meanwhile, two U.S. officials reported that about 20 Russian aircraft had been targeted in the attack, and claimed that 10 of them were rendered inoperable.
Tense Agenda on the Trump–Putin Line
The attack also triggered a wave of diplomatic activity. U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the latest developments in a phone call yesterday. Commenting on the conversation, Trump stated, “President Putin made it very clear that he needs to respond to the recent attacks on airports.”
Moscow: Repairs Will Begin
The Russian government downplayed the scale of the attack and stressed that the aircraft would return to service. However, experts have raised questions about how long the repairs will take and pointed to potential vulnerabilities in Russia’s air defence systems.
