Zelenskyy: Operation Spiderweb wouldn't have happened if Russia agreed to ceasefire
Photo: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
If Russia had agreed to a ceasefire, Ukraine would not have carried out Operation Spiderweb to destroy Russian strategic aviation, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated during a briefing.
"A ceasefire could have happened before the operation we conducted (Operation Spiderweb – ed.). Would there have been an operation then? No," Zelenskyy said.
He added that Ukraine will not leave Russia's actions unanswered.
"This doesn't mean that while we seek a ceasefire, we are doing nothing. That's our approach. We must set the rules. I believe that if the ceasefire rules apply to everyone, then they apply to everyone. If they are violated, then we can violate them too," the President emphasized.
Operation Spiderweb
On June 1, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) carried out Operation Spiderweb, which had been in planning for over a year and a half.
SBU's drones simultaneously attacked several Russian airbases. The UAVs struck four military bases: Belaya, Dyagilevo, Olenya, and Ivanovo.
According to SBU chief Vasyl Malyuk, the drone strikes damaged 41 aircraft of Russia's strategic aviation, including A-50, Tu-95, Tu-22M3, and Tu-160 models.
In total, the attack affected 34% of Russia's strategic cruise missile carriers at the main bases. The estimated value of the destroyed strategic aircraft is around $7 billion.
