The cards are now stacking against Putin.

As Putin, in his madness, continues to bombard the people of Ukraine with continuous droves of drones; the news of "Operation Spider" has circumvented the Global Internet Ether and, one can only imagine, that Putin and his generals are reeling from the utter devastation "Operation Spider" has wreaked on their 'invincible' armada of planes raining missiles from deep within Russia upon the people of Ukraine.

As Arpan Rai (left) and Rachel Clun (right) report, 

"Dozens of Russian military aircraft have been destroyed in an unprecedented drone attack deep inside Russia, a Ukrainian official has said, the day before critical peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv resume in Istanbul.

Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the “absolutely brilliant” operation which he said destroyed one-third of Russia’s strategic cruise missile carriers stationed at air bases. 

Codenamed ‘spider web’, drones were smuggled deep inside Russian territory inside trucks, before they were unleashed on multiple Russian airfields destroying more than 40 warplanes, Ukrainian security officials said." (The Independent on MSN: 2 June 2025) (my emphasis)

 

CNN: 1 June 2025: YouTube 

Significantly, "Operation Spider" occured yesterday, as "ceasefire" talks between Russia and Ukraine are scheduled for to-day, 2nd June, in Istanbul.

As reported by Vitaliy Shevchenko (left), 

"Last night saw the largest-ever aerial attack on Ukraine, followed by Ukraine's daring raid on bombers deep within Russian territory.

This shows that Russia is as keen to attack Ukraine as ever, and, in turn, President Zelensky is keen to prove wrong those who think - to use Donald Trump's phrase - that he has "no cards". (BBC News: 2 June 2025) (my emphasis)

 

Oneindia News: 1 June 2025: YouTube  

As also reported by NDTV World,

"The timing of Ukraine carrying out these attacks [Operation Spider] is significant. Russian and Ukrainian officials will be meeting in Istanbul today to discuss plans to end the three-year war, Europe's largest conflict since World War II. The timing of the drone attack suggests that Ukraine would try to leverage more during the talks, having demonstrated its striking capabilities. (NDTV World (Edited by Saikat Kumar Bose (right)) on MSN:  :2 June 2025) (my emphasis) 

As Yeni Şafak  also reports,

“We [Volodymyr Zelenskyy with his Defense Minister Rustem Umerov] discussed our expectations for the meeting in Istanbul on Monday.

“We continue to propose a full and unconditional ceasefire, along with all dignified and rational steps that could lead to a lasting and reliable peace. The Ukrainian proposal we presented to the Russians is logical and realistic,” he added.

“The Russians have not shared their ‘memorandum' with anyone. We don't have it, the Turkish side doesn't have it, and the American side doesn't have the Russian document either. Despite this, we will attempt to achieve at least some progress on the path toward peace,” he said." (Yeni Şafak: 2 June 2025) (my emphasis)

The "deafening silence" from the White House about "Operation Spider" speaks volumes.

Where is the latest Trump "tweet"?

Where is the response from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio?

What we have, instead, as Ronny Reyes (right) reports, 

"Secretary of State Marco Rubio doubled down on President Trump’s demand for peace talks between Ukraine and Russia after the war escalated over a weekend with a series of intense bombings inside both countries.

Rubio told Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Sunday that both sides needed to engage in direct talks “to achieve a lasting peace,” according to the State Department." (New York Post on MSN: 2 June 2025) (my emphasis)

In other words, the Trump administration is "walking away" from any involvement in Putin's war with Ukraine, precisely what Putin wants to continue, unfettered, to rain bombs down upon the people of Ukraine.

  

 (left to right: Witkoff, Kellog, Hegseth, Rubio)

As I stated in my last blog entry (28 May 2025),

"Will "tune-changing" Trump rescue Putin once more? This is the $64 question!"

notwithstanding Trump's " 'threat' of more sanctions ... etc ... etc ... against Putin".

President Zelensky has proved wrong those who think - to use Donald Trump's phrase - that he has "no cards".

The cards are now stacked against Putin 

UPDATE: 3 June 2025: 06.44 GMT  

As inevitably as night follows day, and as was to be expected, Charlie Bradley (left) and John Varga (right) report that, 

"Russian papers and military bloggers are discussing the prospect of Russia using nuclear weapons to strike Ukraine after Kyiv launched brutal strikes on Vladimir Putin's airbases. The country is reeling after Ukrainian drones are reported to have destroyed more than £5 billion worth of strategic bombers in what some pro-Kremlin commentators have described as Russia's "Pearl Harbour"." (Express: 2 June 2025) (my emphasis)

 This 'Pavlovian-like' response of Putin's propaganda acolytes is best exemplified by Vladimir Solovyov (left), Putin's TV propaganda Czar, who ranted on Russian TV that,

"He said: "They [the army of Ukraine] can't win in the Ukrainian conflict, because anyone who understands Russia and Putin knows that during the entire existence of the Russian state, it was never possible to force any Russian government into a desired outcome." Solovyov added the eight-word statement: "This is Europe's problem. Europe will burn down. He continued: "Why should we immediately cease fire when war is happening in our constitutional territories and they [the people of Ukraine] haven't even been liberated yet?" (Rebecca Robinson: Express: 29 May 2025) (my emphasis)

 

Russian Media Monitor: 2 June 2025: YouTube.

Putin now stands wobbling at the edge of the 'nuclear-abyss' prospect of Russia using nuclear weapons to strike Ukraine, nervously considering lighting the 'nuclear' touchpaper that he believes will save himself from an ignominious end as his 'siloviki' begin to sharpen their knives whilst glaring at him.

Recall that during the assasination of Julius Caesar.

"... senator Tillius Cimber grabbed hold of Caesar's toga and pulled it down from his neck, which signalled to the other conspirators that it was time to attack. According to the historian Suetonius, Caesar shouted out in Latin, "ista quidem vis est!" ("Why, this is violence!" or "But this is violence!") when his toga was ripped down from his shoulder. Suetonius further writes that Caesar spoke no more after this, besides a groan after the first knife blow, and died without saying anything." (Wikipedia)

JUNE 3: 17.33 GMT 

"Operation Spider" continues with its deadly assault against Putin.

Matthew Dooley and Ciaran McGrath report,

"Ukraine's SBU has claimed to have hit the Kerch Bridge in Crimea with underwater explosives in the latest attack on the key transport link between the peninsula and Russia. The SBU said the operation took months to plan and used 1,100kg of explosives which damaged the structure. Local media reported the bridge was closed earlier on June 3." (Express: 3 June 2025) (my emphasis)

 

 

 

(to be continued)