The Russia-Ukraine war continues to intensify. On June 1, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Lavrov had requested the call. Their main focus was on restarting peace talks in Turkey.
According to a statement from the US State Department, Rubio urged both sides to continue direct talks. “Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke today with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, at Russia’s request. Secretary Rubio reiterated President (Donald) Trump’s call for continued direct talks between Russia and Ukraine to achieve a lasting peace,” said spokesperson Tammy Bruce.
Russia Confirms Peace Talk Proposal
Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued its own statement. It said both diplomats discussed the ongoing Ukraine conflict. “SV Lavrov and M Rubio also exchanged views on various initiatives concerning a settlement of the Ukraine crisis, including plans to resume direct Russian-Ukrainian talks in Istanbul on June 2,” the ministry said.
In the same call, Rubio expressed sympathy over recent deaths in Russia. Two bridges collapsed in separate regions near the Ukraine border. According to Russian officials, seven people were killed and 69 injured after the bridges were destroyed on Saturday.
Ukraine Hits Russian Airfields
At the same time, Ukraine launched a dramatic series of attacks inside Russia. Ukrainian forces used drones hidden in trucks to strike airfields in eastern Siberia. These attacks damaged key military infrastructure.
In response, Moscow sent out one of its longest drone and missile attacks on Kyiv. The military tension grew quickly, just ahead of the expected peace talks in Turkey.
Dozens of Russian Planes Damaged
Several reports said Ukraine damaged more than 40 Russian aircraft. These included Tu-95 and Tu-22M3 bombers, which can carry both conventional and nuclear weapons. Ukraine also hit an A-50 radar plane, a critical part of Russia’s air defense.
Zelenskyy Praises Long-Planned Operation
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised the operation in a series of posts on X. He confirmed that Ukraine only targeted military equipment. “Today, a brilliant operation was carried out — on enemy territory, targeting only military objectives, specifically the equipment used to strike Ukraine. Russia suffered significant losses, entirely justified and deserved,” Zelenskyy wrote.
What’s most interesting, and this can now be stated publicly, is that the “office” of our operation on Russian territory was located directly next to FSB headquarters in one of their regions.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 1, 2025
He added that the mission had been in planning for 18 months. “The preparation took over a year and a half. Planning, organisation, and every detail were perfectly executed. It can be said with confidence that this was a unique operation,” he added.
