NATO secretary general: Russia used these aircraft to attack innocent people
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has commented on Ukraine’s Operation Spider's Web, which targeted airfields housing Russian strategic aircraft.
Source: Rutte ahead of a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels, as reported by European Pravda
Details: Speaking about the Ukrainian strikes, Rutte pointed out that Russia had used its strategic aircraft to launch attacks on peaceful Ukrainian cities.
Quote: "Let's not forget that the capabilities they hit were the capabilities the Russians were using to attack innocent people going about their daily lives in Ukrainian cities and communities. So I think we should take note of that."
Details: However, Rutte declined to comment on the Ukrainian operation in further detail or to assess how it might influence the course of the war launched by Russia, saying that this is "not always helpful".
Background:
- Russian aircraft were hit in a series of strikes on 1 June, when at least four airfields were targeted.
- Sources told Ukrainska Pravda that this was a special operation carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) in which around 40 aircraft, including strategic bombers, were damaged.
- A source within the SSU told UP that Operation Spider's Web had been over 18 months in the planning. The security service first smuggled FPV drones into Russia, followed later by mobile wooden cabins in which the drones were hidden.
- US Senator Richard Blumenthal compared Ukraine’s recent drone strikes on military facilities deep inside Russian territory to the operation that eliminated "number one terrorist" Osama bin Laden.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Operation Spider's Web had demonstrated Ukraine’s ability to make effective tactical decisions in the war.
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