Putin plotting to blitz Ukraine with ‘vicious & unrelenting' revenge strike in days after Op Spiderweb, US insiders warn
Officials said the Kremlin's full-scale retaliation for
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Western officials have warned that Vladimir Putin is plotting a major revenge assault on Ukraine
Credit: AFP
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Fire and smoke rise from the site where a Russian missile struck a residential area in Kharkiv on Saturday
Credit: AP
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Officials say the strikes could also aim symbolic Ukrainian targets
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Footage of Operation Spiderweb showed Russian planes left burning on the runway
The revenge strike will be "asymmetrical" and likely to feature a mix of drones and missiles aimed at symbolic Ukrainian targets - not just military assets, one US official told Reuters.
Another said the operation could begin within days.
A senior Western diplomat added: "It will be huge, vicious and unrelenting.
"But the Ukrainians are brave people."
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On Friday,
Russia's Defense Ministry called it a response to "terrorist acts" by Ukraine - but insiders say the real retaliation is still being assembled behind the scenes.
US officials believe the SBU — Ukraine's security service — may be directly targeted in the revenge strike.
Carnegie Endowment analyst Michael Kofman told Reuters: "Most likely, they will attempt to retaliate against (SBU) headquarters, or other regional intelligence administration buildings.
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"In general, Russia's ability to substantially escalate strikes from what they are already doing — and attempting to do over the past month — is quite constrained."
Putin plotting 'final killer offensive' to WIN Ukraine war despite Russian losses nearing 1 MILLION
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PUTIN'S $7bn HUMILIATION
The looming storm follows Operation Spiderweb - Ukraine's most daring covert strike yet.
It was led personally by spy chief Vasyl Malyuk under the direct orders of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
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Over 117 kamikaze drones were launched from hidden mobile units disguised as everyday cargo trucks, slipped undetected into Russian territory.
The strikes hit four strategic bases - Belaya, Dyagilevo, Olenya, and Ivanovo — torching aircraft capable of launching nuclear warheads.
Ukrainian officials say 41 planes were destroyed or damaged.
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US intelligence puts the figure closer to 20, with at least 10 completely destroyed - still a staggering blow to Russia's long-range bomber fleet.
The $7billion damage, inflicted with zero boots on the ground, has left the Kremlin tyrant furious and determined to reassert its military dominance.
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The SBU released new footage of the covert operation on Saturday
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It showed a drone lifting off from what appears to be a transport vehicle before targeting Putin's bomber planes
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'IT'S NOT GOING TO BE PRETTY'
President Donald Trump revealed this week that he spoke directly with Putin on Wednesday.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the Russian despot told him
Speaking to reporters later, Trump added: "It's probably not going to be pretty. I don't like it.
"I said: 'Don't do it. You shouldn't do it. You should stop it.'
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"But, again, there's a lot of hatred."
Meanwhile, Russia's propaganda machine is framing the war as existential.
Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declared Friday: "This is about the future of our children, of our country."
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A view of destruction following the two-hour Russian attack on Kharkiv on Saturday
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A man stands amid rubble in destroyed house at residential district after Russian shelling in Kharkiv
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BLITZ ALREADY UNDERWAY?
While officials say the major strike is still to come, Ukraine is already reeling from a brutal few days of missile and drone attacks.
On Friday, 400 drones and 45 missiles rained down on cities across the country.
In Kyiv, explosions lit up the night sky near the Mother Ukraine monument.
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A fire tore through the 11th floor of a residential block in Solomyanskyi, and emergency crews rushed to save civilians trapped inside.
Overnight into Saturday,
'We have a lot of damage,' Kharkiv's mayor Ihor Terekhov said.
At least 18 apartment buildings and 13 homes were hit, with more strikes reported in Donetsk, Dnipro, Ternopil, and Odesa.
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Ukraine's Air Force said it shot down 174 out of 206 drones and nine missiles overnight.
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Smoke billowing from a fire burning in a building after an airstrike in Kharkiv on Saturday
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Explosion is seen after Russian air strike on Kyiv, Ukraine, on Friday
SUMMER OFFENSIVE BREWING
Western analysts say Mad Vlad is not just seeking revenge - but a breakthrough.
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Reports from Ukrainian intelligence suggest up to 125,000 troops are massing near the Sumy and Kharkiv frontiers, with
The offensive is expected to focus on Kramatorsk, Kostiantynivka, and Pokrovsk in the Donbas - with plans to encircle key cities rather than slug it out street by street.
Military analyst Konrad Muzyka told
"Company-size assaults of 50 to 100 men hardly ever happen anymore."
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But Ukraine, armed with drones and Western weapons, isn't backing down.
Zelensky warned this week: "Even after all of Russia's horrific attacks, he is reportedly preparing yet more so-called 'responses.'
"With every new strike, with every delay of diplomacy, Russia is giving the finger to the entire world."
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