With its recent strikes on Russian military targets, including the Spiderweb operation, Ukraine has demonstrated its ability to seize the initiative and strengthen its positions for peace negotiations.
This was stated by Major General Christian Freuding, Head of the Planning and Management Staff at the German Ministry of Defense, in an interview published on the Bundeswehr’s YouTube channel, as reported by a Ukrinform correspondent.
“After this very intense week, three things stand out. First: Russia is not interested in genuine peace; it only pretends to negotiate. Second: Ukraine is capable of seizing the initiative, with the support of its partners, to gain a strong position from which negotiations can begin. Third: Ukraine can rely on its partners. We saw this clearly again on Wednesday in the Ramstein format,” he said.
Commenting on the Spiderweb special operation, the Bundeswehr Major General emphasized that Russian strategic bombers preparing to carry out attacks on Ukraine were targeted, and the operation was conducted “with a great element of surprise and significant success.”
“According to all the data and images available to us, including those publicly accessible, these aircraft were partially directly prepared for use against Ukraine. This is what makes this attack valuable, as it prevented immediate strikes on Ukraine,” Freuding stated.
He also noted that the Ukrainian strike revealed the vulnerability and lack of protection of Russia’s strategic aviation airfields, which previously relied on the remoteness of these bases from Ukraine as sufficient defense.
Regarding the fact that Ukraine kept the operation secret from its allies, the German general stressed that “Ukraine is conducting this war within the right of self-defense under international law and is not obliged to coordinate its operations — whether special operations, ground, air, or naval — with its allies.”
Freuding indicated that, according to Bundeswehr estimates, about a dozen aircraft were damaged during the Spiderweb operation — roughly 10% of all Russian long-range bomber aviation. He added that the effects of the Ukrainian strike will become increasingly noticeable in the medium term, as “the remaining aircraft will wear out faster.”
Additionally, the psychological impact of Spiderweb is important, he said.
“Russian strategic culture relies on security through depth of territory. After this successful operation, that no longer works. Russia is now forced to use other forces for protection and security. This has a psychological effect both for Russia and Ukraine. The Ukrainian Armed Forces and security services have once again proven their effectiveness, planning capabilities, and high discipline in executing operations,” the German general emphasized.
In this context, he also pointed to other recent successful Ukrainian operations, such as the destruction of a Russian missile battery preparing to shell areas near Sumy, a munitions depot on the occupied Crimean Peninsula, a semiconductor manufacturing plant in Russia, and a strike on the Kerch Bridge.
As Ukrinform reported, on June 1, the Security Service of Ukraine conducted an unprecedented special operation, simultaneously striking four military airfields deep inside Russia. According to the Head of the SSU, Vasyl Maliuk, drone strikes damaged 41 aircraft, including A-50, Tu-95, Tu-22M3, and Tu-160. In total, approximately 34% of Russia’s strategic cruise missile carriers at key airbases were affected.
Photo credit: sueddeutsche.de
Source: Ukraine capable of seizing initiative in war — German General
