The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) stated on Sunday that more than one-third of all Russian missile-carrying vehicles were targeted and struck during a synchronized drone assault on various airbases across Russia, which spanned thousands of kilometers.
Over 40 aircraft reportedly sustained hits, encompassing types like the A-50, Tu-95, and Tu-22M3, resulting in total damages exceeding €6 billion.
The Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stated that "Operation Spiderweb" yielded an "exceptionally impressive outcome," which was accomplished exclusively through the efforts of Ukraine.
The President of Ukraine additionally provided further insights into the execution of the mission, clarifying that 117 drones were utilized, every one operated by an individual pilot.
"The most intriguing aspect—and we can confidently disclose this now—is that our operation’s ‘office’ within Russian territory was situated directly beside the FSB (Federal Security Service) of Russia, in one of their regions," he stated in a Telegram post.
This significant setback for Russia’s intelligence agencies came when Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine successfully carried out the mission and ensured the safe extraction of all participants. The individuals operated “across various parts of Russia—spanning three distinct time zones.”
“Our most long-range operation. Our people involved in preparing the operation were withdrawn from Russian territory in time," he explained.
Zelenskyy stated that it took Kyiv "one year, six months, and nine days from the beginning of planning until successful implementation."
He expressed his gratitude to the chief of Ukraine’s Security Service, General Vasyl Malyuk, and requested that he share the specifics and outcomes of the operation with the general public.
"Certainly, all details cannot be disclosed at present, yet these are Ukrainian acts that will indubitably find their place in history textbooks," he further stated.
"Ukraine is defending itself, and rightfully so—we are taking all measures to ensure Russia understands the necessity of concluding this conflict. Since Russia initiated this war, Russia should be the one to bring it to an end," Zelenskyy stated.
What has been revealed up until now regarding Operation Spiderweb
Even though Ukraine's security service hasn't provided further specifics yet, local media outlets are detailing how the operation unfolded, citing information from SBU sources.
These reports indicate that FPV drones were clandestinely transported into Russia and kept concealed within trucks located inside movable log cabin setups.
The tops of the cabins were subsequently opened from a distance, after which the drones initiated their assault on the Russian military bombers.
Igor Kobzev, the governor of Irkutsk, Russia, stated that drones which struck a military facility in Siberia's Sredniy originated from within a vehicle. According to his message posted on Telegram, authorities have seized the location where these unmanned aircraft were deployed, eliminating any ongoing danger to civilians.
Russian sources likewise reported that additional assaults were carried out in a comparable fashion, with drones being deployed from the rear compartments of trucks.
Footage circulating on social media platforms and extensively broadcasted by Russian outlets seems to depict the drones emerging from within containers, with the panels left abandoned on the roadway. Another video snippet showed individuals clambering onto a truck in what seemed like an effort to stop the drones.
SBU operations
"Spiderweb Operation" is not the initial non-traditional mission conducted by Ukraine’s Security Service.
In October 2022, the SBU targeted the Kerch bridge, an illegal structure erected by Russia following its seizure of Crimea in 2014.
The explosion, which Russian authorities said was caused by a truck bomb, badly damaged the bridge which links Moscow-occupied Crimea and Russia.
Attacking Russian bombers, which have been conducting extensive missile strikes against Ukrainian urban areas, was once deemed nearly unimaginable. Moscow ensured these aircraft remained beyond the reach of Kyiv’s arsenal, including locally produced weaponry as well as equipment provided by its partners.
The Olenya airbase is situated in Russia’s Murmansk region, approximately 2,000 kilometers away from the Ukrainian border. The Belyy airbase, meanwhile, is found in Russia’s Irkutsk region within southeastern Siberia, more than 4,000 kilometers east of the conflict zone. Both of these airstrips suffered some of the heaviest damage during Sunday’s attack.
A significant feature of "Operation Spiderweb" was the selection of weaponry. Kyiv utilized FPV drones, extensively manufactured in Ukraine and highly valued by the armed forces for their cost-effectiveness.
FPV drones usually have a price tag of just a few hundred euros, whereas a Russian A50 radar surveillance aircraft, said to be struck alongside other aircraft earlier today, comes at a cost exceeding €300 million.
Oleksandr Kamyshin, Ukraine’s presidential advisor and ex-minister of strategic industries, stated that local producers could manufacture more than 5 million first-person view (FPV) drones annually.
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