June 2nd, 2025: Ukraine Cripples Russian Bomber Fleet In Massive Drone Blitz & Gaza Hostage Talks Stall
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It's Monday, the 2nd of June. Well, look at that. It's a brand new month. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. We'll start things off with a surprising blow to Russia's Air Force. Ukraine just pulled off its most ambitious drone strike yet, hitting strategic bomber bases thousands of miles inside Russian territory. We'll have those details.

Later in the show, Hamas offers to release hostages but, and here's no surprise, is demanding changes to the U.S. ceasefire plan. We'll break down what each side wants. And the U.S. hands Iran a new nuclear deal proposal, hoping to break the deadlock. But will the Iranian regime accept terms that limit its uranium enrichment? And if they accept the deal, will they actually honor the terms of the deal and not cheat?

And why is the answer no? We'll examine what's in the latest proposal. And in today's back of the brief, the Islamic State, ISIS, is once again making its presence known, now turning its sights on the newly established Syrian government. Because, of course, ISIS is killing other Muslims. It's their signature move. But first, today's PDB Spotlight.

In what's shaping up to be one of the most devastating single days for the Russian war machine, and likely the worst day in the history of the Russian Air Force, Ukraine pulled off a bold and highly coordinated strike deep inside Russian territory. The result: dozens of strategic bombers damaged or destroyed, billions of rubles in damage, and a shattering of the myth that Moscow's core military assets are beyond Ukraine's reach.

Sources within Ukraine's security services told the Kyiv Post that the special operation, codenamed "Web," targeted at least four air bases, including Belaya and Irkutsk in Siberia and Olenia on the Kola Peninsula, near the border with Finland. Now, what each of these military bases have in common is that they house Russia's strategic long-range bombers, including the Tu-95 and the Tu-22M aircraft, which form the backbone

of Moscow's long-range strike capability. And despite Russia's supposedly formidable air defense systems, the attackers did not use stealth jets or cutting-edge hypersonic technology. They used a small quadcopter, commercially available, low-tech drones, reportedly launched from inside Russia using trucks, vans, and cargo containers.

Now, first-person video footage from the drones shows direct strikes on the bombers with several aircraft erupting into flames. Satellite and social media imagery appear to corroborate the damage, plumes of black smoke rising from runways and a growing trail of scorched tarmac.

The Irkutsk strike alone is significant. That airbase sits nearly 2,500 miles from the Ukrainian border. This marks Ukraine's first confirmed strike in Siberia, and it's the deepest inside Russian territory by a wide margin.

And there's a clear reason why the Ukrainians would want to strike these targets in particular. These long-range bombers are responsible for launching Russia's Kh-22 and Kh-32 cruise missiles. Those are fast, long-range weapons frequently used to target Ukrainian civilian infrastructure. Ukraine's SBU security service confirmed to the Foreign Times that the agency was executing "a large-scale special operation to destroy enemy bomber aircraft."

While the SBU claims more than 40 bombers were hit, that figure has not yet been independently confirmed. Russian state media did acknowledge the strikes, but unsurprisingly, is downplaying their effectiveness. Still, publicly available video shows that the damage is real and extensive. Also, reportedly among the damaged aircraft, an A-50 airborne early warning and control system, that's essentially Russia's version of the U.S. AWACS,

Each one of these flying radar stations costs an estimated $350 million more if you get the carpets and the cup holders. And with other bombers in Russia's fleet priced around $40 million apiece, even modest damage to a handful of aircraft could represent hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars in destroyed assets.

But the operation wasn't just about equipment. These bombers can also deliver nuclear weapons. And by striking the air bases that housed them, Ukraine wasn't just going after Moscow's conventional firepower. It was putting a spotlight on the vulnerability of Russia's nuclear delivery systems. And the drone blitz wasn't the only blow delivered. Just hours before the air base attacks, explosions rocked key rail lines inside Russia and in occupied Ukraine.

Ukrainian territories held by the Russian military. In Bryansk, a bridge collapsed beneath a passenger train en route to Moscow, killing at least seven and injuring many more. And in Kursk, a region that Ukraine briefly controlled before being pushed out by Russian forces, another collapsed bridge derailed a freight train. Other blasts were reported near rail hubs critical to Russian military logistics.

Taken together, this appears to be a coordinated Ukrainian effort to simultaneously degrade Russia's ability to strike Ukraine from the air and to resupply its frontline positions by rail.

What's perhaps most extraordinary isn't just the scale of the damage, but the precision and the reach. A synchronized drone assault across thousands of miles in multiple regions of Russia, carried out with low-cost hardware and high-level planning and, of course, incredibly solid intelligence, signals that even Russia's most prized assets far from the front are no longer safe. But Ukraine wasn't the only one on the offensive this weekend.

Just hours before the drone swarms began lighting up Russian air bases, Moscow launched its own massive aerial assault. According to Ukraine's Air Force, Russia unleashed 479 aerial weapons, including seven missiles and hundreds of Iranian-made Shahed drones, in what officials are calling the largest drone and missile barrage since the full-scale invasion began over three years ago.

The attack injured at least four civilians and caused damage in 18 separate locations across Ukraine, including Kyiv, Zaporizhia, and Odessa. One missile reportedly struck a military training facility, killing 12 Ukrainian soldiers and wounding dozens more.

There's no indication of what, if any, impact this is going to have on the talks in Istanbul scheduled for today between Ukraine and Russia. But considering the scale of carnage this weekend, it's hard to imagine that either side will be arriving in a mood to talk peace or to compromise. I mean, if they arrive at all.

All right, coming up next, Hamas pushes back on the U.S. ceasefire plan, and Washington offers Iran a new nuclear deal. I'll be right back.

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In Hamas's formal response to the latest U.S. ceasefire and hostage proposal, the terror group issued a counterproposal, conditionally agreeing to release Israeli hostages while demanding sweeping amendments, changes that Israeli officials say amount to an effective rejection of the proposal. The written reply, delivered to President Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, says Hamas is prepared to release 10 living Israeli hostages and the bodies of 18 more

in exchange for an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners. But Hamas attached a laundry list of demands that go well beyond what's on the table, including a permanent ceasefire, full Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza, and uninterrupted humanitarian aid, none of which negotiators say were part of the current U.S. framework. Witkoff wasted no time firing back. In a post on X, he called the response, quote, "...totally unacceptable," adding it, quote, "...only takes us backward."

He urged Hamas to accept the existing framework so proximity talks can begin as soon as this week. Jerusalem echoed that stance. Prime Minister Netanyahu's office said Hamas was, quote, continuing to adhere to its refusal, while Defense Minister Israel Katz put it more bluntly, stating, quote, the Hamas murderers will now be forced to choose, accept the terms of the Witkoff deal or be annihilated, end quote.

Still, despite those public condemnations, back-channel talks do continue. A source close to the negotiations told the Times of Israel that mediators are in ongoing contact with Hamas in hopes of narrowing the gap.

So, is this a no? While Israeli officials are treating it as a "effective rejection," Hamas's reply is being parsed as a counterproposal by mediators, just one unlikely to get much traction. As for the deal itself, the full text has not yet been published, but sources say it includes a 60-day ceasefire and a phased hostage exchange, first the release of 10 living and 18 deceased Israeli hostages,

followed by a second release of 30 more if a permanent ceasefire is secured. In return, Israel would release over 1,200 Palestinian prisoners and convicted terrorists, as well as the return of 180 bodies, while allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza under UN supervision.

Critically, the Trump administration had already secured Israeli approval before bringing the deal to Hamas, limiting the window for meaningful edits. Netanyahu has signaled flexibility on a temporary truce, but insists that military operations must resume if Hamas refuses to disarm. The prime minister stated, quote, the war will end when Hamas lays down its arms, is no longer in government, and its leaders are exiled from Gaza, end quote.

But inside the Strip, well, time is running out. More than 2 million Palestinians are trapped in increasingly dire conditions in the rebel-filled enclave, and Hamas knows it's losing ground. Mediators say this latest U.S. proposal is less generous than the one Hamas rejected in March.

Back then, senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya said the terror group would not accept any partial deal that failed to deliver a complete and permanent end to the war. Now, though, Hamas is in no position to outright reject the plan. With Israeli troops advancing and the humanitarian crisis deepening, the group has little leverage left and even less room to maneuver.

So the terror group appears to be walking a very narrow line, signaling openness to negotiation while clinging to its maximalist demands that Israel has repeatedly ruled out. For now, both sides are still talking, but few believe that they're close to a yes.

Okay, shifting to Iran, the U.S. has presented its updated formal proposal to the mullahs for elements of a new nuclear deal, just hours after U.N. inspectors warned of a sharp and dangerous spike in Tehran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

The proposal, relayed through Oman's foreign minister, lays out Washington's terms for a halt to all Iranian uranium enrichment and introduces a bold framework, a regional nuclear consortium composed of Iran, Saudi Arabia, other Arab states, and the U.S. The aim? Well, the aim is to box in Iran's nuclear ambitions without triggering open confrontation. While

While the document isn't a full draft agreement, it does mark the first time since negotiations began in April that the Americans have committed a formal offer in writing. Sources familiar with the talk say the written offer was hammered out during the fifth round of negotiations in Rome. Iran had pushed for something in writing after Witko floated an oral version at the previous round. Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araqi, acknowledged receipt of the proposal in a post to X.

And frankly, the stakes at this point, well, couldn't be higher. The International Atomic Energy Agency, the IAEA, on Saturday sounded the alarm. Iran's stockpile of uranium, enriched to 60% purity, now stands at roughly 900 pounds, up from 605 pounds in February. For better understanding, that's enough for about 10 nuclear bombs if the material is further refined to weapons grade, compared to just five or six when President

President Trump returned to office in January. The threshold for weapons grade is 90% enrichment. IAEA Director Rafael Grossi didn't mince words, warning that, quote, the significantly increased production and accumulation of highly enriched uranium by Iran, the only non-nuclear weapons state to produce such nuclear material, is of serious concern, end quote. Well, congrats to Rafael Grossi. He's earned today's PDB statement of the obvious award.

The agency's quarterly report stressed the urgent need for a, quote, a diplomatic resolution under a very robust IAEA inspection system.

But the Islamic regime isn't backing down. The report details how the mullahs tried to deflect scrutiny by handing over intelligence documents and press clippings claiming they proved nuclear material had been planted. Inspectors called the explanations implausible, citing a, quote, lack of technically credible answers. Iran has yet to spell out its reply to the U.S. offer, but Aradji said Tehran would act, quote, in line with the principles, national interests, and rights of the people of Iran.

Over the weekend, the Islamic Republic dismissed the IAEA's findings as baseless allegations that cannot be validated." As we've been tracking here on the PDB, Iran has dug in on the issue of enrichment, insisting that producing civilian-grade fuel is a sovereign right. But that stance effectively locks the country in as a nuclear threshold state, able to sprint to the bomb should it choose.

That's the tightrope now confronting negotiators. The U.S. is demanding a full halt to enrichment, sweeping inspections, and the authority to dismantle sensitive nuclear facilities. Iran, for its part, has spent billions building that infrastructure and this little sign that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is ready to sacrifice it.

Notably, U.S. intelligence agencies are also picking up chatter about a possible Iranian crash program, an emergency push to weaponize uranium should diplomacy collapse. With enrichment soaring, inspectors warning of breakout capability, and no clear endgame in sight, the question now is whether diplomacy can work or whether the U.S., the West, and Iran are heading toward a confrontation.

All right, coming up next in the back of the brief, ISIS. Remember them? They resurface in Syria with their first attacks on the country's new transitional government. I'll be right back.

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In today's back of the brief, ISIS has claimed responsibility for two bombings in Syria, the group's first direct strikes against the country's transitional government since it took power last December. The attacks were announced in statements posted online and reported by the site intelligence group. According to ISIS, the bombings killed and wounded Syrian government soldiers and militia members loyal to the new regime.

Syrian authorities have not confirmed the claims, but reports of violence in the area do appear to match. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on a remote-controlled landmine explosion on Wednesday in Sueda province in the country's south. One man was killed and three soldiers from the Syrian army's 70th Division were wounded. The man killed was accompanying the troops but was not identified as a member of the military. What makes this development particularly troubling is the location.

Sueda hasn't seen significant ISIS activity in nearly a decade It's a region dominated by Syria's Druze minority and has largely operated autonomously in recent years The Syrian government has long struggled to assert control there That ISIS is now operating again in Sueda, well, signals a potential expansion of its reach

The attack follows a noticeable uptick in ISIS activity since the fall of the Assad regime. After its territorial defeat back in 2019, the group shifted to a low-level insurgency in eastern Syria, but the power vacuum created by Assad's collapse, well, appears to be giving it new opportunities. ISIS has reportedly plotted attacks in Damascus, claimed responsibility for a car bombing in eastern Syria, and now appears to be targeting newly deployed government forces.

The U.S., at the same time, maintains a military footprint in Syria with about 2,000 troops in-country, although a drawdown was announced back in April. U.S. intelligence agencies have warned that the group may attempt to free thousands of its followers that are currently held in prisons across northeastern Syria. Security officials say ISIS is also trying to exploit the internal weaknesses of the new government led by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Once the head of al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria, al-Sharaa was a bitter rival of ISIS during the civil war. Today, he's condemned by ISIS as a, quote, apostate for his cooperation with the West and for recently meeting with President Trump.

For now, Syrian forces, supported by U.S. intelligence, have managed to foil several plots, including one targeting a Shiite shrine. But roadside bombings and renewed ISIS activity, well, may signal a long fight ahead.

And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Monday, the 2nd of June. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdb at thefirsttv.com. Now, to listen to the show ad-free, you know, you can do that. Just become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief by visiting pdbpremium.com. And I hope you had a chance to catch the latest episode of our extended weekend show, the PDB Situation Report. If not...

don't fret. You can always check out past episodes of the Situation Report on our YouTube channel, and you can find that at President's Daily Brief, as well as on all your favorite podcast platforms. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.