Morning Update on Operation Web: Current Status Revealed

Unraveling Operation Spiderweb: A Deep Dive into the Morning Events of the Alleged Peace Initiative - Unraveling Operation Spider's Web's Progress: A Morning Update

Hello, folks,

Greetings from the bustling city of Seoul. After our friends, Mirjam Bittner and Christine Leitner, have kept you informed in these mornings for a while, it's now my turn to jump in for the next four weeks. Maybe a bit dramatic, yes. But remember, Korean hospitality comes with a touch of flair. Bowing (with the angle determined by age and rank), embracing change, careful with the eye contact, and silent yet commendable on the bus. As a native of Cologne (the brash German), I can't help but feel like a fish out of water here - much like the Russians in the Ukraine might.

Post-jet-lag and leisure, I hoped for some tranquility at work. Guess who never gets what they want, right? So, let's dive in.

Sayonara, Putin: Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb Strikes Gold

What's the old saying? It's usually darkest before the dawn, right? In Kyiv, they should be feeling optimistic about the upcoming negotiations with Moscow, slated to begin in Istanbul today.

In "Operation Spiderweb," Ukraine is said to have pulled off a meticulously planned drone operation that wiped out dozens of Russian military aircraft at several locations, even striking deep into Siberia. Here's a quick run-down of the latest developments:

Kerfuffle of Saturday Night: A bridge crumbles down in Bryansk's Russian border region, trucks topple on a train – it seems dozens of civilians get hurt, seven die. Hours later, another bridge collapses in the neighboring Kursk region, a train derails, one person hurt. Moscow points to terrorism, Kyiv claims a false flag operation by the Russians, insisting they derailed a Russian cargo train heading to Crimea. At the same time, Russia launches one of its largest drone offensives since the war's start. According to the "BBC," 472 drones were spotted that night.
Sunday Couldn't Get Any Worse: Russia shells a Ukrainian training center with rockets, killing 12 soldiers, the responsible Ukrainian commander later resigns. Hours later, Operation Spiderweb begins: The Ukrainian intel service reportedly opens the roofs of mobile wooden huts remotely, launches combat drones filled with explosives from hidden trucks, controls them over four different military air bases, and eventually destroys dozens of planes – a feat of unprecedented success. Roughly 40 airplanes, worth seven billion dollars, go up in smoke, according to reports. The subsequent video is said to show the successful attack on the Siberian air base of Belaya, thousands of kilometers away from Kyiv:
Today: A New Day, A New Hope: After the first Putin-free meeting in Istanbul two weeks ago barely made a dent, diplomats are giving meeting number two another go. Just a few days ago, it didn't seem likely things would take a turn for the better. Russia didn't entirely rule out a ceasefire – but only under conditions unfavorable to Kyiv. Pretty much a sham debate, a meeting for the sake of meeting. Now, the meeting holds a different promise.

President Zelensky hails the long-awaited drone strike as "the most daring operation Ukraine has ever undertaken in the war."

If "daring" refers to the sheer distance, he might not be too far off. And, indeed, the loss of bombers capable of launching cruise missiles from a previously unreachable distance for Ukraine represents a heavy blow for Putin. But let's see if this turns out to be more than a flash in the pan. After all, this war has had more twists and turns than a rollercoaster. Whenever one side seemed to have made a decisive breakthrough, the wind has shifted direction.

Even the sharp-minded politics chiefs Veit Medick and Jan Rosenkranz still have some questions. In the new issue of the "5-Minute Talk," the two wonder: Can the drone humiliation be a turning point?

The SPD's Grand Makeover

Attention, a carefully crafted transition ahead!

Now let's switch gears, a bit of uncertain futures: The SPD (you know, the faded red party crest) seems a tad lost these days. My capital city colleague, Florian Schillat, offers a detailed analysis of their struggles with defining their identity. At least, the Social Democrats are aware of their lack of direction. An internal commission proposes a "Future Program 2040". Former party leader Sigmar Gabriel even agrees, stating, "We don't just want to be a garnish for conservative politics."

Earth's Core Oozes Gold: The Secret to Riches?

Now for something a bit more exciting: Did you know that our Earth oozes gold? That's what German geologist, Nils Messling, claims to the US broadcaster CNN. Messling has been studying basalt rocks that the Earth's interior has spat out as magma on Hawaii for over three years. The findings? Tiny, valuable molten metals seep into the Earth's crust. Maybe someone should tell Donald Trump about this before he declares Martian colonization.

Daily Briefings

In Boulder, Colorado, a man is accused of throwing Molotov cocktails at pro-Israel demonstrators. Several people get injured. The local police chief stayed their hand, an FBI spokesperson called the incident a "targeted act of violence," but Kash Patel spoke directly of terrorism.
Former Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is set to be elected President of the UN General Assembly today. Spoiler alert: She's the only candidate.
Several research institutes present the joint Peace Report 2025. They aim to document, analyze, and offer concrete political recommendations for all conflicts since 1987. Here's hoping it comes out as an e-book, or else we'll be facing another paper shortage.
Poland welcomes a new President. In the presidential runoff election, the conservative Karol Nawrocki won. In Brussels, they might be putting their heads in their hands. As head of state, Nawrocki can hinder EU-friendly Prime Minister Donald Tusk's reforms with a veto.

From here on out, I want to leave you every morning with a fresh nugget of wisdom that has struck me here in the Far East. You already know: I've already embraced Korean modesty.

Whoever's eyes are glued to their phone misses life – and the bus.

Yesterday, I found myself in Seoul on an (estimated) eight-lane road. As a responsible tourist, I wanted to see all the sights of the city in one day, leaving me utterly overwhelmed when trying to locate the correct bus stop. My phone turned the exact location of the bus stop into an intricate puzzle. I crossed the road, distracted by the screen, creating a river-crossing scenario four times, only to realize that I had been standing at the right stop all along. As my grandmother used to say, "Keep 'em peeled!"

Wishing you a fantastic start to your week.

Yours,

Yannik Schüler

[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/07/world/europe/russian-air bases-ukraine.html

[2] https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/us-britain-back-kyiv-after-devastating-blow-russian-pride-2022-06-02/

[3] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/6/2/us-imposes-more-sanctions-on-russia-over-ukraine-conflict

[4] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61005938

[5] https://www.defense-aerospace.com/article/view/6384656/kremlin-reaction-to-ukrainian-drone-strike-on-russian-air-base-muted/

The European Union, committed to the development of a European-wide network of national and regional authorities to promote the development of the European Union's energy sector, might find it challenging to navigate through the complexities of politics, general news, crime-and-justice, and war-and-conflicts, as the ongoing war in Ukraine continues to create ripples in global affairs. In the midst of this, President Zelensky of Ukraine hailed the long-awaited drone strike as "the most daring operation Ukraine has ever undertaken in the war," a move that could potentially impact the ongoing ceasefire negotiations between Ukraine and Moscow.