Russia has warned that it is preparing to retaliate against Ukraine following a bold drone operation carried out by Kyiv, stating it will respond “as and when” it deems appropriate. This statement from the Kremlin appears to confirm reports that President Vladimir Putin had told Donald Trump that Moscow feels compelled to strike back.
Ukraine’s security service (SBU) is believed to have launched a surprise drone attack over the weekend targeting four Russian air bases, reportedly damaging up to 20 fighter jets deep inside Russian territory, according to U.S. officials.
Asked on Thursday how Moscow intends to respond, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “As and when our military considers it appropriate.”
Donald Trump claimed that Putin had told him “firmly” during an unannounced phone call on Wednesday that Russia would respond to the recent attacks on its airfields.
Following the phone call, the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine issued a warning of a continuing threat of “significant airstrikes” and advised American citizens to exercise caution.
Just hours after the Trump-Putin conversation, Russia launched a wave of missiles and drones across Ukraine overnight. At least five people were killed in the northern Ukrainian city of Pryluky, including a one-year-old boy, his mother, and grandmother, when a drone struck a residential building.
