Moscow: Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov announced on Thursday that military aircraft targeted by Ukrainian drone attacks will undergo repairs, emphasizing that the planes were damaged but not destroyed.

According to Anadolu Agency, Ryabkov stated, “These aircraft were not destroyed, only damaged. They will be repaired,” in a conversation with state news agency TASS. The announcement follows Ukraine’s surprise attack on June 1, which targeted Russian airbases and what Ukraine identified as long-range bombers.

Ryabkov also criticized Ukraine’s narrative regarding the attacks, labeling it as “inconsistent.” He noted that Russia anticipated a response from Washington before the matter was brought up in a phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and then-US President Donald Trump. “We asked the US to react before the conversation,” Ryabkov said.

In response to the incident, Trump mentioned on Wednesday that Putin informed him of the necessity to respond to the recent attack on the airfields.