US President Donald Trump says his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, warned him "very strongly" of Russia's intention to respond to Ukraine's drone attack, which struck dozens of long-range bomber aircraft across Russian regions over the weekend.
In a post on Truth Social on June 4, Trump described his latest phone call with Putin as a "good conversation," though he noted it was not the kind of conversation that would lead to immediate peace.
According to Trump, the call lasted 75 minutes, and Ukraine's surprise drone attack, carried out by Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) on June 1, was one of the topics discussed.
"We discussed the attack on Russia's docked airplanes by Ukraine, and also various other attacks that have been taking place by both sides," Trump said.
"Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields," he added.
Earlier, the SBU claimed that more than 40 bombers were hit in the attack, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described as "absolutely brilliant," noting that the operation had taken more than 18 months to prepare.
Through the analysis of videos and satellite images, RFE/RL was able to independently verify that at least 11 Russian strategic bombers were destroyed.
Following the phone call, Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told the state-run TASS news agency that Trump had informed Putin the United States was not notified by Ukraine about its plans for the drone attack.
When asked if Russia would respond to the attack, Ushakov said, "the issue was discussed" but gave no further details.
Robert Pszczel, an independent security policy expert, told RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service that he has no doubt Russia would conduct more attacks on Ukraine.
However, Pszczel also suggested it was difficult to imagine what new level of brutality Russia might reach after previous attacks on Ukraine's civilian and energy infrastructure.
Ushakov also added that Putin briefed Trump on the second round of direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, which took place in Istanbul on June 2, a day after the drone attack. He said Putin called the talks "useful" and expressed hope that they would continue.
Earlier in the day, speaking at a government meeting, Putin effectively dismissed Zelenskyy's proposals for a lasting cease-fire and a potential leaders' summit.
Putin accused Kyiv of coordinating deadly "terrorist attacks" on bridges in border regions over the weekend -- an issue that, according to Ushakov, was also discussed during the phone call with Trump.
"The Kyiv regime does not need peace at all," Putin said at the meeting. "What is there to talk about?"
During his visit to the United States, Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, responded to Putin's remarks by noting Ukraine had once handed its strategic bombers to Russia in exchange for security guarantees.
Now Ukraine has struck part of Russia's strategic aviation in an "act of retaliation," Yermak said.
Earlier, Zelenskyy added the attack would never have happened if a cease-fire had been implemented.
In the United States, Yermak met with US Secretary Marco Rubio and members of US Congress. Following the talks, he called for a new package of US sanctions and emphasized that pressure remains the only tool to influence Russia's actions.
At the same time, the US Embassy in Kyiv warned its citizens of an ongoing risk of "significant air attacks" and urged caution.
Serhiy Lysak, governor of Ukraine's southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, reported that a Russian drone attack on Nikopol killed a woman and injured five other people.
"She was 45 years old. The doctors fought for her life until the very end, but her injuries were too severe," Lysak wrote on Telegram of the victim.
According to Ukrainian authorities, 54 more people were also injured in Marhanets in the Zaporizhzhya region as a result of an FPV drone attack. Among them was an 83-year-old woman.
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