U.S. President Donald J. Trump has reportedly described Ukraine’s recent large-scale drone strikes on Russian airbases as “strong” and “badass” in private conversations with senior advisors, according to Axios. While the White House and President Trump have maintained public silence regarding Ukraine’s operation—which inflicted significant damage on Russia’s fleet of long-range, nuclear-capable strategic bombers—sources say Trump was privately impressed by the scale and effectiveness of the attack. One advisor remarked, “From an international perspective, you’ve got a chihuahua inflicting real damage on a much bigger dog.”

At the same time, President Trump has expressed concern that the strikes could provoke a major Russian retaliation, potentially undermining his ongoing diplomatic efforts between Moscow and Kyiv. Following a recent call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump posted on Truth Social, “President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields.”