New details about Ukraine’s “Spider Web” operation against Russia

The participants of the “Spider Web” special operation of the Ukrainian security service provided new details to Gezars ISNA about the country’s large-scale drone attack on military airports and the long-range aviation fleet of the Russian Air Force, during which dozens of planes were destroyed or damaged.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the operation began when a Russian truck driver accidentally moved the roof of his truck, revealing the hidden cargo, which included attack drones. The driver then contacted Artem Timofeev, a Ukrainian who had long lived in Russia and was a special operations coordinator.

In order not to disrupt the mission, a cover story was quickly put forward that the cargo was supposedly drone hunting cabins for animal tracking. After that, the driver sent a photo with the roof in place and the operation continued.

According to the report, the Security Service of Ukraine created a complex transportation network to deliver hundreds of drones and eight prefabricated cabins to Russia. This shipment crossed the border using “corruption loopholes” in Russian customs.

Artem Timofeev and his wife Katerina assembled the parts in Russia. The cabins were equipped with solar panels and batteries, and the drones were equipped with communication devices for control from Kiev.

At the end of May, five trucks were moving on different routes across Russia. On June 1, more than a hundred drones took off simultaneously and targeted four Russian airports.

According to the estimates of the Security Service of Ukraine, 41 planes were hit, and more than 10 of them were destroyed.

Artem and Katerina Timofeev are originally from Ukraine, but moved to Russia after the economic crisis of 2014, which did not arouse suspicion thanks to their familiarity with the language and their Russian passports.

Before the start of the undercover operation, the couple went to Lviv, Ukraine, where they were given a lie detector test.

Artem then founded a logistics company in Chelyabinsk, Russia, hired drivers, set up a warehouse, and quietly began operating Spider Web. The drivers had no idea what they were carrying.

After the attack, Russian security forces put Timofeev on the wanted list.

Operation Spider’s Web has become one of the largest special operations of the Ukrainian security service, as Ukrainian drones attacked several Russian airports simultaneously.

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