Description: Curated by the Ukrainian SBU (Ukraine’s Security Service), the country launched a massive drone attack on several locations deep into Russian territory. The operation was carried out using a delivery of wooden housing crates into Russia which were remotely opened, and several hundred drones managed to reach critical Russian strategic targets and destroy up to 40 long – range aircraft bombers of highly tactical and operational value. The operation was hailed as a massive success as it highlighted integral vulnerabilities within the Russian air defense systems and was considered as a show of battle preparedness by the Ukrainian forces. President Volodymir Zelenskyy said that Operation Web or Pavutyna, was a result of months in preparation and showed the effectiveness of the SBU. He also stated that Ukraine would attend the Istanbul negotiations on 02 Jun with a delegation led by Defense Minster Rustem Umerov.
Impact: The spectacular combination of intelligence and military operation personified in Operation Web improved Ukraine’s diplomatic standing ahead of the second round of negotiations by debunking its internationally perceived constant state of vulnerability. The operation was a massive success destroying key pieces of Russian military hardware, but it didn’t inflict other significant changes or the current state on the frontlines in which Russia still holds the upper hand. The Istanbul talks would be just a fresh confrontation of opposing propositions as both countries are still distant in reproaching any form of peace agreement. Russia hasn’t delivered its so – called peace memorandum playing its diplomatic cards close to the chest as opposed to Ukraine’s publicly announced peace terms. Russia’s retaliatory measures would most probably be comprised of outlaying more maximalist demands while increasing the military pressure on the battlefronts, as Sumy was one of the suspected regions for a renewed Russian offensive.