Moscow Calling – June 3
Medvedev promises retribution for the drone attack on air bases
“To all those who are worried and waiting for retribution” after the Ukrainian drone attack on Russian air bases a few days ago, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said that “it is normal for people to be worried. Retribution is inevitable.” According to him, the Russian army “is advancing and will continue its advance. Everything that must explode will inevitably explode, and those who must be exterminated will disappear.” At the same time, Medvedev noted that the negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul are not necessary for a compromise, “but for our speedy victory and the complete destruction of the neo-Nazi regime” (TASS, Telegram).
Britain on the path to ruinous militarization, pundits say
After Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that the country was moving to war-fighting readiness, increasing the defense budget to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 and to 3% in the future, which aims to increase the armed forces tenfold by 2035, Russia expressed skepticism about these steps. In his article, Sergey Savchuk, columnist at RIA Novosti, compared these steps to the Nazi policy of “guns versus butter” and suggested that militarization would lead to cuts in social and cultural programs. The article also emphasizes that the British army, traditionally focused on external operations, may not be ready for a full-scale war with Russia. The author claims that London is using the image of the Russian threat to justify the build-up of military power and divert attention from internal problems (ria.ru).
Hungarian talking head: Zelensky provoking a nuclear conflict
Volodymyr Zelensky initiated attacks on Russian airfields with the aim of provoking Moscow into responding with nuclear weapons. This opinion of Hungarian analyst Zoltán Koskovics from the Center for Fundamental Rights is cited by RIA Novosti as proof that the West has a negative attitude toward Zelensky’s actions. Koskovics claims that the Ukrainian leader is seeking to drag the West into a direct military conflict with Russia. He also noted that Zelensky’s actions are causing concern among Ukraine’s Western allies, as they could “lead to an escalation of the conflict” and have “unpredictable consequences” (ria.ru).
Ukrainian drone attack footage comes from a “videogame”, Russians told
After the FPV drone attack on Russian airbases in the Murmansk and Irkutsk regions on June 1, the Russian Defense Ministry reported only burning and damage to several aircraft, without mentioning the 40 destroyed planes. On June 3, a video showing the destruction of Russian strategic bombers circulated on Russian social media. However, according to an article on Lenta.ru, these images were taken from the video game ARMA 3, and the video shows signs that are characteristic of graphics, such as blurry images, painted buildings, and trees. The article also told the readers that the Ukrainian side has done that before. (lenta.ru).
Russia bets on resuming gas supplies to Europe
On June 3, 2025, a court in the Swiss canton of Zug approved an agreement to settle the debt of Nord Stream 2 AG, the operator of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. According to EADaily, this decision removed the threat of bankruptcy and paved the way for the project’s revival. The outlet says the company repaid its debts to major creditors, including OMV, Wintershall, Uniper, ENGIE, and Shell, which had previously provided up to €4.75 billion for construction. According to plans, one of the lines of the twin pipeline could be restored by 2030 with an estimated service life of 50 years. The cost of restoration is estimated at €633 million. The second line remained intact. In January 2025, Denmark allowed the damaged part of the pipeline to be mothballed, demanding plans for its further use. There are also reports of negotiations between the U.S. and Russia, in which American investors are considering participating in the project, including acquiring stakes in Nord Stream 2 or Gazprom. The article notes that the goal is to weaken European political opposition to resuming Russian gas supplies. Construction of the gas pipeline was completed in 2021, but certification was suspended by Germany in 2022 after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine (EADaily).