Ukraine’s most daring covert mission against Russia almost collapsed because of an unexpected challenge: a shortage of sober Russian truck drivers. A Wall Street Journal report revealed that Kyiv had prepared an audacious drone strike meant to coincide with Russia’s Victory Day on May 9, aiming to damage Moscow’s bomber fleet and embarrass the Kremlin. The classified mission, known as Operation Spiderweb, took 18 months of planning, deception, and logistical precision.
To transport the drones deep inside Russia, Ukraine relied on unwitting Russian drivers who believed they were carrying wooden cabins. However, a series of national holidays, including Victory Day, Labour Day, and Orthodox Easter, left many drivers unavailable or hungover, making the timing too risky. SBU officials said the operation had to be postponed until the end of May 2025, when a reliable group of drivers was finally found.
The mission then faced several unexpected setbacks. In one instance, a truck driver noticed the roof of a cabin had come off, revealing the drones inside. The on-ground coordinator, 37-year-old Artem Timofeev, who assembled the drones with his wife, pretended not to know anything about the cargo and told the driver the devices were used for tracking wildlife near hunting lodges. A separate truck suffered a mechanical failure, forcing the team to transfer the sensitive cargo. In another alarming incident, two drone-packed cabins went out of communication entirely. Later reports showed they had caught fire, detonating the drones and killing the driver.
Despite the complications, Ukraine pushed forward. On June 1, more than 100 drones were launched from cabins mounted on four trucks, targeting four Russian airfields. Kyiv-based drone pilots easily locked onto exposed aircraft on the ground, destroying or damaging dozens of Russian warplanes within an hour.
Operation Spiderweb marked a major reputational shift for the SBU, long seen as a corrupt and outdated intelligence agency. The mission demonstrated a new level of strategic capability, creativity, and operational reach, reshaping global perceptions of Ukraine’s intelligence services.
