What did 1 June 2025 reveal about the war?

What did 1 June 2025 show about the state of the war? Three developments that day pointed in different directions, and read together they describe a conflict fought at long range, with heavy costs on both sides.

A record barrage

Russia launched the largest drone attack on Ukraine since the start of the war, made up of 472 drones and seven ballistic missiles. The scale of the strike underlined how heavily Moscow relied on air attack as a tool of pressure.

A costly blow to Ukraine's forces

In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a Russian missile strike on a training camp killed 12 Ukrainian servicemembers and injured 60 more. The commander of the Ground Forces of Ukraine, Mykhailo Drapatyi, submitted a resignation request following the incident. The loss of life away from the front line, at a site where troops were being prepared, made the strike a significant test for Ukraine's military leadership.

Operation Spider's Web

The same day, Ukraine said at least 40 Russian warplanes, including several strategic bombers, had been destroyed or damaged by drone attacks on four air bases in Russia. The operation, known as Spider's Web, was later described as a covert attack by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). In that later account, it targeted the Russian Air Force's Long-Range Aviation assets at five air bases: Belaya, Dyagilevo, Ivanovo Severny, Olenya and Ukrainka. The drones were concealed in trucks on Russian territory and launched from them.

What the contrast shows

The three events were separate, but they share a theme. Both sides were reaching far beyond the front line with drones and missiles. Russia struck at Ukrainian cities and at a training site; Ukraine struck at aircraft on bases inside Russia. The day's events showed the vulnerability of rear areas on each side, and the stakes for the commanders responsible for protecting them.