Vladimir Putin has vowed Russia will take revenge against Ukraine for its massive drone attack on Moscow's war machinery, according to US President Donald Trump.
Mr Trump took to Truth Social to reveal that he and the Russian president spoke on the phone for more than an hour on Wednesday, local time, and discussed at length the conflict between Kyiv and Moscow.
It was their first contact since Ukraine's audacious Operation Spider's Web, which targeted scores of Moscow's nuclear-capable long-range bombers at sites deep inside Russia.
Kyiv also bombed a section of the Kerch Bridge connecting Russia and Crimea.
Mr Trump said the talk was a "good conversation", saying: "We discussed the attack on Russia's docked airplanes, by Ukraine, and also various other attacks that have been taking place by both sides."
"It was a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate peace," he said.
"President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields."
The Kremlin confirmed the conversation took place and that the pair also discussed Iran's plans to develop nuclear weapons.
The call came after a second round of peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow in Istanbul, which ended swiftly and without a breakthrough, earlier this week.
Ukraine on Wednesday released new footage of its strike on the four Russian military air bases, showing attack drones targeting numerous Russian strategic bombers and landing on two airborne early warning and control planes.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also addressed a gathering at NATO's Brussels headquarters online and repeated his calls for more air defence systems, specifically Patriot or similar systems.
"The stronger our air defence is, the less value Putin sees in attacking our cities and villages, so please let's continue strengthening our air shield," he said.
"This is the most effective way to force Russia to stop its missile strikes and terror," he added.
British Defence Secretary John Healey said Moscow was routinely firing more than 300 drones a day into Ukraine, a rate of fire that could be sustained throughout 2025.
"President Putin continues to prove he's not for peace. He remains set on death, destruction and destabilisation," he said.
Pope pushes for more aid and prisoner exchanges in Putin call
Hours after Mr Trump's announcement of his call with Mr Putin, the Vatican said Pope Leo XIV had also spoken to the Russian leader over the phone.
Matteo Bruni, the director of the Holy See Press Office, told reporters that the pontiff had discussed the importance of facilitating humanitarian aid where necessary in Russia's war with Ukraine.
"The Pope made an appeal for Russia to take a gesture that would favor peace, emphasizing the importance of dialogue to create positive contacts between the parties and seek solutions to the conflict," a Holy See statement said.
The Vatican also said that the pope encouraged more prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine.
"Pope Leo … underlined how shared Christian values can be a light that helps to seek peace, defend life, and pursue genuine religious freedom," Mr Bruni said.
Russian blame game begins
It came as Russian military analysts were hunting for scapegoats for Ukraine's attack, which has weakened key components of Russia's nuclear arsenal.
Aerospace forces commander-in-chief Viktor Afzalov and former defence minister Sergei Shoigu — now secretary of Russia's Security Council — were among those being publicly singled out for blame.
The drone strikes have prompted accusations of negligence, complacency and corruption. How was it possible, commentators were asking, for nuclear-capable aircraft to be left exposed, unprotected by hangars, and for Ukrainian intelligence to smuggle the drones within close reach of air bases and unleash them with devastating effect?
Two influential military blogs — Voyenkor Kotenok and Two Majors — said Mr Shoigu had promised as far back as April 2021 to build more than 300 reinforced concrete shelters for aircraft, but this had not happened.
Military analyst Vladislav Shurygin condemned the "blatant irresponsibility and negligence" of the aerospace command headed by Mr Afzalov, accusing the top brass of failing to anticipate threats and learn from past mistakes.
The Russian defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Another blogger, Roman Alekhin, said the attacks demonstrated Ukraine's ability to penetrate deep inside Russia with saboteurs. Moscow had underestimated its enemy, he said, comparing the blow to Japan's 1941 attack on the US Navy at Pearl Harbor.
The heated online debate contrasts with near silence from the authorities and scant coverage in state media. The Kremlin has said an investigation is underway.
Kyiv allies back defence manufacturing
Meanwhile, Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov said Kyiv's allies were prepared to pay for defence manufacturing by Ukrainian companies in allied countries.
While the minister did not give a specific value for the offer, Mr Zelenskyy has previously requested $US30 billion ($46 billion) from Ukraine's Western allies to cover Kyiv's shortfall in defence manufacturing capacity.
Speaking at a meeting of Western counterparts, the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, in Brussels, he said: "Our partners said they are willing to fully pay for all the production from these factories, and that … [they] will appropriate even more funding for this."
The Ukraine Defence Contact Group spans more than 50 nations and was formed after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
It is sometimes referred to as the Ramstein Group after the US air base in Germany where it first convened, and was previously led by the United States.
Mr Umerov said the initiative did not have a proper name yet but was for the moment called the "Ramstein Investment to Industries Initiative".
ABC/Reuters
