What’s Russia’s likely response to Kyiv’s latest move?

A new report from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) says Ukraine’s recent drone strikes on Russian strategic bombers could temporarily limit Russia’s ability to carry out long-range attacks on Ukraine—and may force Moscow to rethink its military strategy.

According to ISW, the Ukrainian operation on June 1 specifically targeted Russian aircraft used to launch cruise missiles, as well as airborne early warning and command planes like the A-50. These aircraft play a critical role in detecting Ukrainian air defenses and coordinating Russian fighter missions.

“The June 1 operation will likely force Russian authorities to reconsider how they deploy their air defense systems, possibly expanding coverage and relying more on mobile units that can respond quickly to future Ukrainian drone attacks,” the report notes.

General Vasyl Maliouk, head of Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), emphasized the significance of the operation: “These enemy bombers targeted our country almost every night. Today, they’ve learned that retaliation is inevitable. President Zelensky personally ordered us to neutralize them and oversaw the operation himself.”

(MH with AmBar - Source: ISW / X - Photo: © Unsplash)