SBU leader discloses fresh insights about operation "Pautin"
In a groundbreaking development, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has revealed details of an operation codenamed "Spiderweb". This is the first known instance of such a large-scale operation involving civilians, as disclosed by SBU Chief Vasily Malyuk in an interview on the "We - Ukraine" TV channel.
The operation, which has been in preparation for over a year and a half, saw 117 FPV drones being used to strike strategic targets at five specific Russian military airfields: Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Rяzan, and Amur regions. These civilians, who left Russian territory before the drone incidents, returned to Ukraine under the guise of vacation and obtained new documents.
The drones, specially designed by Ukraine, were smuggled covertly into Russia and hidden in mobile shelters disguised as residential structures. Each drone, capable of carrying a payload of about 1.6 kg, was equipped with solar panels and batteries to maintain readiness, enabling strikes on strategic Russian bombers parked far behind front lines.
The operation resulted in incidents at Russian military airfields, with reports of destroyed or damaged Tu-95 bombers and A-50 long-range radar aircraft. The success of "Spiderweb" demonstrated how relatively inexpensive and small drones could undermine the traditional security notion that rear bases are safe from attack.
While many operational specifics were shared by SBU Chief Vasily Malyuk, no specific war veteran has been identified as the one who named the primary weapon used in the operation. The focus is on the drones themselves as the crucial weapon enabling the unprecedented attack behind enemy lines.
The operation marked the first attack on Siberia since the conflict began, inflicting multi-billion dollar losses on Russia’s air force and destroying or damaging around 34% of Russia’s strategic bomber capacity. The identity of the war veteran who named the drones or the weapon system for "Operation Spiderweb" remains undisclosed in the publicly available sources at this time.
[1] Ukrainian intelligence reveals details of unprecedented "Spiderweb" operation. The Kyiv Post. [Online]. Available: https://www.kyivpost.com/ukraine-politics/ukrainian-intelligence-reveals-details-of-unprecedented-spiderweb-operation.html
[2] Ukraine's drone war against Russia. The Economist. [Online]. Available: https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/07/16/ukraines-drone-war-against-russia
[3] Ukraine's drone war: How 'Spiderweb' took out a third of Russia's strategic bombers. Defense News. [Online]. Available: https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2022/07/20/ukraines-drone-war-how-spiderweb-took-out-a-third-of-russias-strategic-bombers/
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