Ukrainian drones struck the Tambov Gunpowder Factory in Russia’s Tambov Oblast during the night of 11 June, marking the latest attack on a facility that supplies explosives to Russian military forces.

Acting governor of Tambov oblast Yevgeny Pervyshov confirmed that authorities repelled what he described as a “massive drone attack” on the city of Kotovsk, 700 km (434 miles) away from the Ukrainian border. Pervyshov said law enforcement officers responded to the scene and that “the situation is under control.”

Russian Telegram channels Astra and Mash provided additional details about the incident. Local residents told Astra that the drones targeted the gunpowder factory, which subsequently caught fire. Mash reported that 15 explosions occurred during the attack.

Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, noted that the facility has been attacked “not for the first time” and indicated that the factory has paused operations following the strike.

The Tambov Gunpowder Factory produces ammunition and gunpowder for small arms, artillery, and rocket systems, as well as colloxilin used in explosives manufacturing. The enterprise manufactures over 200 product types, including pyroxylin gunpowders for small arms, hand grenades, grenade launcher ammunition, and artillery shells.

The factory operates as part of the Rostec state corporation and serves as one of Russia’s primary suppliers of explosive materials to its armed forces. Production at the facility increased substantially following the start of the full-scale invasion in Ukraine.

This attack continues a pattern of Ukrainian strikes on the facility. Previous drone attacks occurred in January 2024, July 2024, and November 2023, demonstrating the site’s recurring status as a military target.

A large-scale fire continues to burn for the third straight day at the Kristall oil depot in Engels, Russia’s Saratov Oblast, following a Ukrainian drone strike on the night of 6 June. The depot is reported to supply fuel to the Engels-2 airbase, which houses Russia’s Tu-95 and Tu-160 strategic bombers used in cruise missile attacks on Ukraine.

Satellite imagery from PlanetLabs shows today’s smoke plume stretching nearly 15 kilometers, visible from multiple areas of the city.

According to Ukraine’s General Staff, drone strikes targeted two Russian military airfields—Engels and Dyagilevo. At least three fuel storage tanks were reportedly damaged in Engels.

Despite the visible impact, Saratov regional authorities claim that air quality in residential areas remains within safe limits. However, Russian Telegram channels report thick black smoke rising over Engels.

Ukraine renews strikes on Russian fuel infrastructure

This marks the first Ukrainian drone strike on a Russian fuel depot in months, signaling a renewed campaign against Russian military logistics. The 6 June attack on Engels came alongside strikes on military and industrial targets across at least six Russian regions.

The broader strategy targets fuel depots, airfields, and defense infrastructure deep inside Russian territory, aiming to disrupt operations supporting the war in Ukraine.

Engels oil depot previously targeted in January

The Kristall depot, located over 600 km from Ukraine, has been targeted before. In January 2025, Ukrainian drones struck the facility twice:

• On 8 January, three fuel tanks with a capacity of 120,000 cubic meters each were destroyed, and six more were damaged. The estimated fuel loss reached 800,000 tons.
• A second drone strike followed on 14 January, while fires from the initial attack were still burning.

Governor Roman Busargin confirmed a fire broke out at “one of the industrial enterprises in Engels” after the recent strike but did not name the site. NASA’s FIRMS satellite system detected thermal anomalies consistent with the reported fire, further confirming the incident.

US President Donald Trump argued that Ukraine’s recent Spiderweb drone operation against Russian airfields gave Russia justification for its retaliatory strike on civilians.

“They gave the reason to go and bomb the hell out of them last night. That’s the thing I didn’t like about it. When I saw it, I said “Here we go, now it’s going to be a strike,” Trump said to journalists. 

Trump’s comments came after he held a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on 4 June that lasted approximately one hour and 15 minutes. During that call, Putin warned that Russia would retaliate for a recent “Spiderweb” drone operation, according to Trump’s account.

Russia’s Defense Ministry also subsequently characterized its bombardment of Ukraine as retaliation for the Ukrainian airfield operation.

President Donald Trump held a phone conversation with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, that lasted approximately one hour and 15 minutes, Trump announced on his Truth Social platform.

According to the US president, they discussed Ukraine’s recent surprise operation targeting Russian aircraft “as well as various other attacks happening on both sides.”

“It was a good conversation, but not the conversation that will lead to immediate peace. President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields,” Trump stated.

The New York Times previously reported that American officials expect Russia to deliver a “significant response” to Ukraine over these strikes.

While US intelligence has not yet determined specific targets for potential retaliation, they believe Moscow may conduct more massive drone strikes on civilian targets, hit energy infrastructure, or launch new waves of medium-range ballistic missiles.

The leaders also addressed Iran and what Trump described as a nuclear agreement he proposed to Tehran.

“I stated to President Putin that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and, on this, I believe we were in agreement. President Putin suggested that he will participate in discussions with Iran and that he could, perhaps, be helpful in getting this brought to a rapid conclusion,” the American president added.

US Senator Richard Blumenthal compared Ukraine’s recent long-range drone attacks against Russian air bases to the 2011 raid that killed Osama bin Laden, Politico reports.

The Democratic senator from Connecticut Richard Blumenthal called the Spiderweb operation one of the great military achievements in recent years, according to Politico.

Blumenthal believes it refutes the “false narrative that Ukraine is losing the war.” He suggested the recent battlefield developments could influence Washington’s approach to Ukraine aid and potentially sway President Donald Trump, who the senator noted remains skeptical of increased support.

“They can strike air bases 4,000 miles from Ukraine; They can hit anywhere,” Blumenthal said. “Just in the skill and audacity of these attacks, it will rank with the United States raid on Osama bin Laden and the Israeli pager operation as one of the great military achievements in recent years.”

The White House has not commented on the Ukrainian strikes, though spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt previously emphasized that Trump was not informed about the operation in advance.

On 4 June, Blumenthal organized a closed-door briefing for senators alongside Republican Senator Lindsey Graham to discuss their sweeping sanctions bill targeting Russia and major energy customers including China and India. The Ukrainian delegation included Andriy Yermak, a top adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Deputy Defense Minister Serhii Boyev.

The bipartisan legislation, which now has 82 co-sponsors evenly divided between parties, proposes 500% tariffs on countries purchasing Russian oil and other products. Blumenthal described the sanctions package as potentially a “game changer” designed to increase pressure on Russia’s wartime economy.

The senator indicated Congress could move forward with the sanctions bill regardless of White House support, stating that events on the battlefield might shift momentum among lawmakers previously hesitant to increase aid to Ukraine.

Overnight drone attacks from 1 to 2 June, the coordinated assault targeted military and industrial facilities in eight regions across Russia’s western border, causing infrastructure damage and residential fires.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense announced that its air defense systems intercepted 162 Ukrainian drones. Russian officials reported shooting down 57 drones over Kursk, followed by 31 over Belgorod Oblast and 27 over Lipetsk Oblast. Smaller numbers were intercepted over Voronezh (16), Bryansk (11), Ryazan (11), Oryol (6), and Tambov (1) regions. Two additional drones were reportedly downed over occupied Crimea.

Voronezh Oblast experienced infrastructure damage when a high-voltage wire broke on the M-4 “Don” highway. Governor Alexander Gusev reported broken windows in houses and vehicles but stated there were no civilian casualties among the 15 drones intercepted in the region. Local residents reported attacks on the Borisoglebsk military airfield, which houses an aviation repair plant previously targeted in January 2025, according to Russian independent media Astra.

In Lipetsk Oblast, a drone crashed behind a three-story apartment building in Lebedyan, causing a fire and shattering windows from the blast wave. Local reports suggested drones attempted to target the Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant NLMK industrial plant that produces steel. 

In Kursk, Governor Alexander Hinstein reported damage to residential buildings and other structures, however this information is not verified. Debris from intercepted drones struck the upper floors of a nine-story apartment building on Dmitrov Street, damaging at least two apartments. Two houses in the city’s private sector caught fire, though no official casualty reports were released at the time.

The city of Ryazan experienced more than 10 explosions during the night, according to local Telegram channels. Regional authorities reported damage to vehicles and residential building windows.

New satellite imagery has emerged showing the destroyed Russian strategic aircraft at the Belaya air base in Russia’s Irkutsk Oblast, located over 4000 km (2485 miles) away from Ukraine, after smuggled Ukrainian drones struck Russian military airfields on 1 June.

The images, captured by American aerospace company Umbra Space and published by geospatial intelligence consultant Chris Biggers on X, show destroyed and damaged Russian bombers.

According to Biggers’ analysis of the satellite data, the strike resulted in the destruction of three Tu-95MS strategic bombers with one additional aircraft damaged, along with one destroyed Tu-22M3 bomber.

A second image reveals what appears to be three Tu-22M3 strategic bombers that were either destroyed or heavily damaged.

The satellite images utilize synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology, which allows imaging through cloud cover. 

Ukrainian Spiderweb operation

The operation, conducted on 1 June, targeted four Russian military airfields: Olenya, Belaya, Dyagilevo, and Ivanovo, using 117 AI-powered FPV drones smuggled into Russia hidden in trucks.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reports that the strikes hit various Russian aircraft including A-50 early warning planes, Tu-95 strategic bombers, and Tu-22M3 bombers.

Ukraine’s intelligence service claims the operation damaged 41 Russian aircraft, representing what they describe as “34% of strategic cruise missile carriers at their base airfields.” However, independent verification of this figure is not available.

The SBU has stated that personnel involved in preparing the operation, which spanned over 18 months, have returned to Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that the SBU’s coordination center for the operation was located directly next to a Russian regional FSB [Russia’s Federal Security Service] office, highlighting the boldness and sophistication of the mission.

The Spiderweb operation represents Ukraine’s culmination of developing and utilizing drones for successful modern warfare. Ukrainian drone capabilities rapidly evolved from makeshift, volunteer-built systems into a $2.8 billion domestic industry producing millions of advanced drones, including AI-powered kamikaze models and heavy bombers like the “Baba Yaga.” 

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent helicopter trip to the frontline Kursk Oblast, during which his aircraft allegedly came under Ukrainian drone fire, was orchestrated as a public relations stunt to demonstrate his “personal sacrifice” for the war effort, the Moscow Times reports.

The Defense Ministry promoted the story through state media, claiming the presidential helicopter was “at the epicenter of repelling a massive attack by enemy drones” during his visit to Kursk Oblast on 20 May. The trip was conducted in secrecy and only announced after Putin returned to Moscow.

Four current and former Russian officials, who spoke to The Moscow Times and requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of Putin’s security arrangements, said the Kremlin designed the incident to counter growing public dissatisfaction as ordinary Russians face increasing inconveniences from the ongoing drone strikes, such as flight cancellations and internet outages.

“Russians, dear ones, look. President Putin himself is suffering, tormented and even risking his own life. Your problems are trifles. You must grit your teeth and endure,” one Russian official told The Moscow Times, describing the intended message.

The reality of Putin’s security arrangements contradicts the public narrative of risk-taking, according to sources. Officials described his protection as increasingly stringent, with comprehensive health screenings for anyone in proximity to the president. One participant in Putin’s events this year recalled having to take PCR tests for multiple respiratory conditions, not just Covid-19.

Putin’s actual security arrangements involve hundreds of officers from multiple agencies including the Presidential Security Service, FSB, National Guard, and Interior Ministry.

Former Federal Guard Service officer Vitaly Brizhaty, who left Russia after the full-scale invasion, said Putin’s movements are so secretive that even intelligence officials often don’t know his location.

“He [Putin] doesn’t even trust his own people [the security services]. He only trusts his inner circle,” Brizhaty said.

Military expert Ivan Stupak, a former Ukrainian Security Service officer, questioned the plausibility of the incident. If genuine, he argued, it would represent a massive security failure requiring widespread dismissals within the Presidential Security Service.

“No one would ever allow such criminal negligence. Not even in a nightmare,” a government official told the publication.

Notably, the regular Kremlin press pool was excluded from this trip, and professional videographers were replaced by security personnel and other individuals. This departure from standard protocol was evident in the official footage, which lacked the typical high production values of presidential events.

Even respected Kremlin correspondent Andrei Kolesnikov from Kommersant, who reported on the alleged attack, was not present in Kursk and based his account on secondhand information.

Drones struck multiple locations in Russia’s Kursk Oblast on the border with Ukraine during the night of 31 May, with various media reports suggesting the attacks targeted positions housing Russian military personnel.

The strikes hit the city of Rylsk and the Lgov district, with acting Kursk governor Alexander Khinshtein claiming the attacks hit residential areas.

However, the Russian media outlet Pepel reported that the drones specifically targeted locations where Russian soldiers were stationed, information that Ukrainian OSINT resources have corroborated.

According to Khinshtein, the attacks in Rylsk involved drones striking two five-story apartment buildings, causing fires that spread between units and damaged building facades.

In the village of Artakovo in Lgov district, the strikes hit a garage and two other structures, which subsequently caught fire. The attacks resulted in 14 injured people across both locations.

Russian authorities have attributed the drone strikes to Ukraine, though official representatives in Kyiv have not yet issued any statement regarding the incidents.