Ukrainian Security Services (SBU) reported on Sunday that more than a third of Russian missile carriers had been hit by coordinated drone attacks targeting various Russian airfields thousands of kilometers away.
More than 40 aircraft are known to have been hit, including the A-50, TU-95 and TU-22 M3, causing over 6 billion euros of overall damage.
Ukrainian President Voldymir Zelensky said the “Operation Spider-Web” was “a absolutely amazing result” “achieved by Ukraine alone.”
The Ukrainian president also shared more details on how the surgery was performed, explaining that each was used by its own pilot.
“The most interesting thing is that we can already say this publicly – the “office” of our operations on Russian territory was located right next to the Russian FSB (Federal Security Agency) in one of their regions,” he said in a post on Telegram.
In a major blow to Russia’s security services, Zelenskyy said Ukraine managed not only to carry out its business but also to safely withdraw its stakeholders. They operated “in three time zones in different parts of Russia.”
“Our longest operation. Those involved in preparing for the surgery eventually retreated from Russian territory,” he explained.
Zelenskyy said Kyiv took “one year, six months and nine days from the start of the plan to the effective execution.”
He thanked General Vasyl Malyuk, the head of security services in Ukraine, and asked him to make details and results of the surgery available to the public.
“Of course, not everything will be revealed at this point, but these are definitely Ukrainian actions that appear in history books,” he added.
“Ukraine defends itself, and of course we are doing everything to make Russia feel the need to end this war. Russia has to start this war, and Russia has to end it,” Zelensky wrote.
What you know so far about SpiderWeb Operation
Although Ukrainian security services have not revealed details at this stage, Ukrainian outlets have referenced the SBU sources to report precisely how to perform the operation.
According to these reports, first-person observation (FPV) drones were smuggled deep into Russia and hidden inside trucks in mobile log cabins.
The roof of the cabin was opened remotely and the drones launched an attack on Russian military bombers.
Russian Governor Igol Kotzev confirmed that a drone that attacked a military base in Siberia in sredniy was launched from inside the truck. In a Telegram post, he said the launch site was secured and there was no further threat to people’s lives.
The Russian outlet also reported that other attacks had been launched in a similar way, with drones appearing from the back of the truck.
Social media footage widely shared by Russian media appears to show drones rising from internal containers while the panels are dumped on the road. As he tried to intercept the drone, he could see a man climbing onto a truck.
At an exhibition of the planning process for “Operation SpiderWeb”, Ukrainian security services saw photos of Russian bombers and airfields and shared photos of SBU General Malyuk’s telegram.
SBU Operation
“Operation SpiderWeb” is not the first unconventional operation implemented by Ukrainian security services.
In October 2022, the SBU attacked the Karch Bridge, which was illegally built by Russia, after annexing Crimea in 2014.
The explosion that Russian authorities said was caused by a truck bomb severely damaged the bridge that connects Crimea and Russia, occupied by Moscow.
The targeting of Russian bombers, which have been carrying out massive missile attacks on Ukrainian cities, was previously thought to have been largely unthinkable. Moscow was trying to keep them well from the range of Kiev’s weapons, both homemade and Allied supply.
The Orenia Air Force Base is located in the Murmansk region of Russia, approximately 2,000 km from the border with Ukraine. Bellaya Air Force Base is located in Russia’s Irkutsk region in southeastern Siberia, and is more than 4,000 km east of the front line. These two airfields were hit hardest during Sunday’s surgery.
Another notable aspect of the “Operation Spider Web” was the weapon choice. Kyiv used an FPV drone. It is produced in Ukraine, widely used by the military for its affordability, and is highly regarded.
FPV drones usually cost just a few hundred euros, but Russian A50 radar detection aircraft, along with other planes, reportedly became a hit today, costing over 300 million euros.
Oleksandr Kamisin, presidential adviser to Ukraine and former Minister of Strategic Industry, said Ukrainian manufacturers have the capacity to produce more than 5 million FPV drones per year.
