ZELENSKY’S ACE IN THE HOLE: The consensus of Western military experts is that while Ukraine’s audacious and spectacularly successful sneak attack on Russia’s long-range bomber fleet is a devastating psychological blow to Russia and a huge morale-booster for Ukraine, it is unlikely to change the course of the war. In fact, it may simply motivate both sides to fight harder.
“It’s really been great for the Ukrainians’ morale, and for the Russians — it makes them fighting mad. And they’re talking about nuclear weapons and other ways to retaliate. And so, you have to expect that this leads to an intensification of the conflict,” former Supreme NATO Commander retired Gen. Wes Clark said on CNN. “He’s going to come back hard against Ukraine and probably go after the civilian populace in Kharkiv and Sumy. That’s his strategic plan for the summer. He wants Odesa on the ground. He thinks he can do it.”
Recommended Stories
- In Singapore, Hegseth threatens ‘devastating consequences’ if China attempts to conquer Taiwan
- Trump gives Putin two more weeks, as Russia rejects US mediation and hardens demands for Ukraine peace
- Russia moves to mock Trump’s tirades against Putin while slow-rolling ‘peace’ memo
“Putin is not going to quit until he thinks he’s losing, actually about to lose. And so he’s going to press through this,” Clark said, but argued that whatever backlash it triggers, Ukraine had to do it. “It’s great for their morale. It’s great for teaching the allies and the United States leadership that Ukraine does have cards that it’s not about to lose, and it’s not going to give up, and it’s not going to surrender.”
The operation, codenamed “Spider’s Web,” will go down in the annals of military history as a technological and tactical masterstroke that has cemented the small disposable drone as the primary weapon of modern warfare. A year and a half in the planning, the operation unfolded like clockwork, progressing without a hitch and destroying or disabling roughly a third of Russia’s nuclear-capable bombers.
Here’s how the Institute for the Study of War described it:
“Ukraine’s Security Service … facilitated drone strikes by transporting the FPV [first person view] drones to Russia at an unspecified time; storing the FPV drones in trucks carrying cargo units with retractable roofs; parking the trucks near the Russian air bases; and remotely opening the truck roofs and launching the FPVs. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that the operation used 117 drones and destroyed 34% of Russia’s strategic cruise missile carriers. Zelensky stated that Ukrainian authorities withdrew the people who ‘assisted’ Ukraine with the operation from Russia before the operation.”
Russian military bloggers dubbed the surprise attack “Russia’s Pearl Harbor,” but it should be noted that while the Japanese attack in 1941 was a huge military defeat for America, it did not result in victory for Japan.
“It probably won’t be a big change on the battlefield, but it will certainly hamper Russia’s ability to fire missiles at Ukrainian cities,” said Max Boot, a military historian who writes for the Washington Post. “I doubt the message will get through, but it should help convince Putin he is not going to win this war.”
“Short of nuclear weapons (which I don’t expect), there is not much Putin can do that he hasn’t already done. Russian hard-liners keep demanding carpet bombing of Ukrainian cities,” Boot said yesterday. “The reason Putin isn’t doing that is not because he’s a closet humanitarian: It’s because Ukrainian air defenses are too strong. Of course, the Kremlin will claim some big air attack on Kyiv as ‘revenge’ but they’ve been mounting air attacks since the start of the war. It’s not like Putin would be going easy if the Ukrainians weren’t hitting back.”
A PAGE FROM PUTIN’S PLAYBOOK: Zelensky waited to spring the attack until the day before the second round of peace talks were due to start in Istanbul, the same way Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his most intense drone attacks on Ukraine just before the first round of negotiations.
“Some have called it the Pearl Harbor of Russia. And the only way [Putin] understands toughness,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), noting that Ukraine, unlike Russia, attacked a clear military objective.
“Putin is a bully. Unless we’re tough with him, he is going to continue to wage war on Ukraine,” Schumer said on MSNBC. “He viciously kills civilians. The move that Ukraine made was brilliant yesterday, but it was aimed at military targets.”
“We have to, number one, do these sanctions. Eighty-five senators, I believe, including myself and Sen. Thune, are co-sponsors of this legislation,” Schumer said, referring to the bipartisan “bone-crushing” sanctions bill introduced by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CN) while calling on President Donald Trump to stop blaming Zelensky for wanting to defend his country.
“One day, he praises Putin; the next day, he criticizes Putin. He’s not made it clear that we’re in Zelensky’s corner. I hope on Ukraine, the president is not the TACO president. Trump always loses the fight. Trump always cops out, is what TACO stands for. And what we should be doing, we should be much tougher on Putin,” Schumer said.
LITTLE PROGRESS IN PEACE TALKS: As expected, the second round of talks in Istanbul produced no progress toward a ceasefire. Both sides exchanged memoranda outlining their terms for peace, which showed how far apart they were. They did agree on another prisoner swap, but that was it.
According to Russian media, Putin is demanding:
- complete withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson oblasts and recognition of Crimea as Russian territory
- demobilization of Ukraine’s military
- election of a new government
- end of outside military assistance
- permanent neutrality, with a ban on joining any alliances
Ukraine’s terms include:
- complete and unconditional ceasefire
- return of all Ukrainian children and civilians and the exchange of all POWs
- reliable security guarantees
- maintenance of its territorial integrity
- the ability to join any security alliance, including NATO
- a future Zelensky-Putin meeting
“What he’s demanding is unacceptable,” said Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), a retired one-star general who has emerged as one of the strongest supporters of Ukraine in Congress. “Imagine having this to our, you know, said to our country, ‘Hey, well, we’ll give you peace, but you’ve got to surrender Texas, Florida, Louisiana, you know, Arkansas. We wouldn’t do that.”
“[Putin’s] stringing President Trump along, if you ask me. He doesn’t have any interest in peace with Ukraine,” Bacon said on CNN. “And also to say that they can’t mobilize their army to defend themselves against Russia, that is not right. And to say they can’t align themselves with the West, this is — this is Russia saying they want to dominate Ukraine.”
“And if you’re a Ukrainian patriot, there’s two words to that,” Bacon added “It’s hell no.”
OPERATION SPIDER’S WEB SHOWS HOW CREATIVE UKRAINE CAN GET IN TAKING FIGHT TO RUSSIA
Good Tuesday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Christopher Tremoglie. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email and we’ll add you to our list. And be sure to follow me on Threads and/or on X @jamiejmcintyre.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP OR READ BACK ISSUES OF DAILY ON DEFENSE
TRUMP SAYS ‘NO ENRICHMENT’ FOR IRAN: President Donald Trump keeps suggesting he is very close to making a deal with Iran to ensure it never obtains a nuclear weapon, but the two sides seem very far apart of what Tehran says is its red line: retaining the ability to enrich uranium for a peace nuclear energy programs.
Trump’s optimistic pronouncements have led to speculation that some sort of interim compromise was being worked out, perhaps allowing the enrichment to occur under strict inspections or perhaps in a third country.
But last night on Truth Social, Trump seemed to flatly rule out any compromise and was against insisting on complete dismantlement of all of Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities. “Under our potential Agreement — WE WILL NOT ALLOW ANY ENRICHMENT OF URANIUM!”
Trump’s post comes a day after a report by Axios that the latest U.S. proposal included a provision that would allow “limited low-level uranium enrichment on Iranian soil for a to-be-determined period of time.”
Axios cited two sources with allegedly direct knowledge of the proposal — “one of whom provided a point-by-point breakdown.”
The proposal, which the Associated Press said was “confirmed by a U.S. official,” called for creating a “regional consortium to handle uranium enrichment for civilian uses — a plan first studied more than a decade ago in negotiations that led to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.”
TRUMP SAYS US STOCKPILING WEAPONS AT HISTORIC RATE AFTER WARNING IRAN WILL NEVER ENRICH URANIUM
PENTAGON SENDING DOD CIVILIANS TO THE BORDER: Defense Pete Hegseth has signed an order that would dispatch an unspecified number of DOD civilian employees to support “border security efforts as well as interior immigration enforcement.”
“The Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness will coordinate with DHS to facilitate these temporary assignments by DOD civilian employees in support of critical ongoing operations,” Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement.
“Protecting our homeland from bad actors and illegal substances has been a focus of the president and of the secretary of defense since day one of this administration,” Parnell said. “Whether on the border or in our communities, allowing qualified DOD civilian employees to support DHS will accelerate the progress already made by service members in achieving our national security goals.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: Operation Spider’s Web shows how creative Ukraine can get in taking fight to Russia
Washington Examiner: Houthis likely rebuilding arsenal in aftermath of ceasefire: ‘Plenty of threat remaining’
Washington Examiner: South Korea heads to polls months after president botched martial law takeover
Washington Examiner: Poland aligns with US over Europe as Trump ally Nawrocki becomes president
Washington Examiner: Boulder suspect charged with federal hate crime for targeting ‘Zionist group’
Washington Examiner: Boulder terrorism suspect Mohamed Soliman is illegal immigrant who entered under Biden: DHS
Washington Examiner: Pro-Palestinian protesters storm stage while Navy secretary speaks
Washington Examiner: Trump says US stockpiling weapons at historic rate after warning Iran will never enrich uranium
Washington Examiner: White House unveils new official portrait of Trump
Washington Examiner: DC mayor worried about Trump military parade causing roadway damages
Washington Examiner: Opinion: Emmanuel Macron slightly turns up the heat on China
Washington Examiner: Opinion: Trump’s new Iran doctrine: Peace through relentless pressure
AP: Zelensky says he backs Turkish proposal for a meeting with Trump and Putin
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Hegseth Set to Testify Before Congress in June
Defense One: Pentagon Won’t Say How Many Civilians Have Left Since February
Military.com: Space Force Budget Faces Uncertainty as White House Bets on Supplemental Money from Congress
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Cut to DOD’s Test Enterprise Alarms Critics, Fearing Loss of ‘Honest Broker’
AP: Man accused of framing other man for deportation by writing letters threatening Trump’s life
Breaking Defense: DIU Launches Project GI to Speed UAS Development with $20 Million Prize Pool
AP: OAN’s Pentagon reporter learns the limits of expressing her own opinion
THE CALENDAR:
TUESDAY | JUNE 3
9 a.m. 801 Allen Y. Lew Place NW — Special Competitive Studies Project “AI+ Expo, June 2-4,: with Francis Donovan, vice commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command; Gov. Tate Reeves (R-MS); Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL); Sarah Whitten, senior vice president of the U.S. Export-Import Bank; former Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work; retired Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Col. Dennis Katolin, director of operations at the Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command; Frank Whitworth, director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency; Justin Fonelli, CTO of the Navy; Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations at the Space Force; Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) and Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE) https://expo.scsp.ai/attendees/
9 a.m. Warsaw, Poland — Atlantic Council Europe Center virtual discussion: “Securing Europe – With or Without the U.S.?” as part of Warsaw Week 2025: Retooling the Transatlantic Alliance for an Era of Uncertainty,” with Joris Geeven, head of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs NATO Summit Content Team; Justyna Gotkowska, deputy director, Center for Eastern Studies; and Marcin Kazmierski, director, Polish Ministry of National Defense International Security Policy Department https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/warsaw-week-2025
9 a.m. — Center for a New American Security virtual 2025 National Security Conference: “America’s Edge,” with Lt. Gen. Joseph Ryan, deputy chief of staff for the Army; German Ambassador to the U.S. Andreas Michaelis; Bogdan Klich, head of mission for the Embassy of the Republic of Poland; Rep. Maggie Goodlander (D-NH); Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY); Gen. David Allvin, chief of staff of the Air Force; House Intelligence ranking member Jim Himes (D-CN); Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI); and Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) https://conference.cnas.org/
2 p.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Brookings Institution discussion: “The U.S., China, and the War in Ukraine,” with Nicholas Burns, professor of the practice of diplomacy and international relations at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, former U.S. Ambassador to China and former U.S. Ambassador to NATO; Patricia Kim, fellow in the Brookings Foreign Policy Program, the Brookings Center for Asia Policy Studies and the Brookings China Center; Suzanne Maloney, vice president and director, Brookings Foreign Policy Program; and Jonathan Czin, Brookings chair in foreign policy studies and fellow in the Brookings Foreign Policy Program and Brookings China Center https://www.brookings.edu/events/the-united-states-china-and-the-war-in-ukraine
4:30 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “South Korea’s New President,” with Victor Cha, president of the CSIS Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department; Ramon Pacheco Pardo, CSIS nonresident adjunct fellow; and Sydney Seiler, CSIS nonresident senior adviser https://www.csis.org/events/impossible-state-live-podcast
WEDNESDAY | JUNE 4
9 a.m Warsaw, Poland — Atlantic Council Europe Center virtual discussion: “Future Directions for Transatlantic Economic Relations,” with Michal Baranowski, undersecretary of state, Polish Ministry of Development and Technology https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/warsaw-week
10 a.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Committee hearing: “Department of the Army FY2026 Posture,” with testimony from Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George http://www.armedservices.house.gov
10 a.m. 2200 Rayburn — House Foreign Affairs Europe Subcommittee hearing: “Assessing the Challenges Facing NATO,” with testimony from retired Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery, CCTI senior director and senior fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies; Nile Gardiner, director, Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom and Bernard and fellow in the Heritage Foundation; and Julianne Smith, former U.S. permanent representative to NATO http://foreignaffairs.house.gov
10 a.m. 419 Dirksen — Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing: “Dismantling Transnational Criminal Organizations in the Americas,” with testimony from Celina Realuyo, adjunct professor, George Washington University https://www.foreign.senate.gov/hearings/
10 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “America’s ‘Golden Dome’ Explained,” with Tom Karako, director, CSIS Missile Defense Project; Heather Williams, director, CSIS Project on Nuclear Issues; and Kari Bingen, director, CSIS Aerospace Security Project https://www.csis.org/events/americas-golden-dome-explained
10 a.m. 1201 South Joyce St., Arlington, Virginia — Air & Space Forces Association discussion “Insights from recent expedition to the ISS, “with Space Force Col. Nick Hague https://www.afa.org/events/warfighters-in-action-col-nick-hague/
10 a.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Brookings Institution discussion: “The End of the Imperial Republic and the Future of the Trans-Atlantic Alliance,” with Camille Grand, policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations; Mara Karlin, visiting fellow at the Brookings Foreign Policy Program and Brookings Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology; Peter Rough, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and director, Hudson Institute’s Center on Europe and Eurasia; and Constanza Steizenmuller, director, Brookings Center on the U.S. and Europe, senior fellow in the Brookings Foreign Policy Program and Brookings Center on the U.S. and Europe and Brookings chair on Germany and Trans-Atlantic relations https://www.brookings.edu/events/the-end-of-the-imperial-republic
1 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “Combating State Hostage Taking and Wrongful Detention,” with Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Response Adam Boehler, founder and managing partner of Rubicon Founders; former State Department Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens; Danielle Gilbert, assistant professor at Northwestern University; Sarah (Levinson) Moriarty, principal at R.A. Levinson & Associates; Diane Foley, president and founder, James W. Foley Legacy Foundation; and former White House National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien, co-chair, CSIS Commission on Hostage Taking and Wrongful Detention https://www.csis.org/events/combatting-state-hostage-taking-and-wrongful-detention
2 p.m. House Triangle, U.S. Capitol — House Committee on Strategic Competition Between the U.S. and the Chinese Communist Party news conference to commemorate the legacy of Tiananmen Square and “highlight the courage of dissidents and pro-democracy advocates in China today.” [email protected]
2:30 p.m. 419 Dirksen — Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee hearing: “China’s Malign Influence in Africa,” with testimony from Troy Fitrell, senior officials, State Department Bureau of African Affairs https://www.foreign.senate.gov/hearings/chinas-malign-influence-in-africa
4 p.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute discussion: “The Future of U.S. Foreign Policy in the Middle East,” with Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Jim Risch (R-ID) https://www.hudson.org/events/future-us-foreign-policy-middle-east-senator-james-risch
THURSDAY | JUNE 5
9 a.m. Warsaw, Poland — Atlantic Council Europe Center virtual discussion: “Poland’s Strategic Partnerships in a Changing World – New Roads and Old Ties,” as part of Warsaw Week 2025: Retooling the Transatlantic Alliance for an Era of Uncertainty,” with Marta Prochwicz-Jazowska, deputy head of office and policy fellow for Warsaw at the European Council on Foreign Relations; and Aleksander Olech, head of international cooperation at Defence24 https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/warsaw-week-2025/
9:30 a.m. 2200 Rayburn — Senate Armed Services Committee hearing: “The Posture of the Department of the Army in review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY2026 and the Future Years Defense Program,” with testimony from Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George http://www.armed-services.senate.gov
10 a.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Committee hearing: “Department of the Air Force FY2026 Posture,” with testimony from Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin; Air Force Secretary Troy Meink; and Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman http://www.armedservices.house.gov
2 p.m. 310 Cannon — House Homeland Security Counterterrorism and Intelligence Subcommittee hearing “Among Us: Evaluating Sleeper Cell Activity and Other Subversion and Sabotage Threats” http://homeland.house.gov
2 p.m. 1333 H St. NW — Center for American Progress discussion: “America’s Role in the World,” with Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT); and Neera Tanden, president and CEO, Center for American Progress https://rsvp2.americanprogress.org/americasroleintheworld
2 p.m. — New America virtual book discussion: “The Future of Deception in War: Lessons from Ukraine,” with co-author Peter Singer, New America strategist and senior fellow; and co-author Mick Ryan, author of War Transformed https://www.newamerica.org/future-security/events/the-future-of-deception-in-war-lessons-from-ukraine/
2 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies discussion: “Strategic Landpower Dialogue,” with Andrew Poppas, commanding general, U.S. Army Forces Command; Robert Brown, president, Association of the U.S. Army and former commanding general, U.S. Army Pacific; and Tom Karako, director, CSIS Missile Defense Project and senior fellow in the CSIS Defense and Security Department https://www.csis.org/events/strategic-landpower-dialogue
2:30 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies discussion: “Emerging Technologies and Strategic Competition,” with Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) and Chris Miller, AEI nonresident senior fellow https://www.aei.org/events/emerging-technologies-and-strategic-competition
3 p.m. — Atlantic Council virtual discussion: “Global Strike Command’s Role in Strategic Deterrence,” with Gen. Thomas Bussiere, commander, Air Force Global Strike Command https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/general-thomas-bussiere
FRIDAY | JUNE 6
9 a.m. — National Institute for Deterrence Studies virtual seminar: “Deterring the New Pacing Threats of Opportunistic and Coordinated Aggression,” with Matt Costlow, senior analyst, National Institute for Public Policy https://thinkdeterrence.com/events/deterring-the-new-pacing-threats