Drones hidden into cabins, self-destructing trucks: How Ukraine smuggled hundreds of drones deep into Russia and destroyed over 40 aircraft in Operation Spiderweb

Ukraine on 1 June carried out a large-scale attack on multiple airbases in Russia, causing substantial damage. As per Ukrainian officials, they used swarms of FPV drones to target the airfields which were already placed near the target airfields.

Now details have emerged how the drones reached the airbases undetected, and how the attack was launched.

Ukraine used First-person view (FPV) drones, where an operator can view what’s in front of the drone using its cameras. When aircraft were spotted, they were targeted from weapons carried on the drones, ensuring very close-range precise strikes.

The drones were somehow smuggled into Russia much earlier, and were hidden inside mobile wooden cabins loaded onto trucks. The drones were hidden on the roof of the cabins, with a lid on the roof that can be opened remotely.

As per Ukrainian media, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) first sent FPV drones into Russia. Later, they shipped mobile wooden houses separately. Once inside Russia, the drones were placed on the hidden compartment on the roof of the cabins, and the cabins were loaded onto tractor-trailers. Photos of the hidden cabins inside the wooden containers show several rows of quadcopter drones on them.

SBU used locals to drive the trucks to the target locals, who then parked the trucks near the airbases, as per instructions. They perhaps didn’t know what they were carrying, as the drones were hidden in roof of the cabins, not inside.

After parking the vehicles, the drivers were instructed to leave the places. When all the trucks were placed at the desired locations near the airbases in Belaya, Diaghilevo, Olenya and Ivanovo, the operation began.

At the right moment, SBU remotely opened the roofs of the trucks, and one by one, drones started to fly out, stunning the locals. Footage provided by Ukrainian officials show what they say through the drone cameras, lines of Russian bombers and other aircraft, while the operator shooting onboard missiles at them.

Igor Kobzev, governor of Irkutsk, confirmed that drones that attacked the military base in Sredniy in Siberia were launched from a truck.

When military uses traditional million-dollar UAVs to launch missile attacks, the UAVs fly thousands of feet above ground, providing very blurry image of the target. In contrast, Ukraine’s low-cost drones flew just few feet above the target planes, providing a very clear view to the operators.

Ukraine didn’t just stop at remotely attacking the airbases with drones, they also took care of the trucks that carried the drones. In a stunt that is seen only in Hollywood movies, they also rigged the trucks with explosives.

Videos show that when Russian forces tried to enter the trucks after the drones had flown out, the trucks exploded into giant fireballs.

One curious truck driver was reportedly killed when he went back to the truck to investigate after seeing the strange incident of drones flying out from the vehicle he had just parked. One truck driver suspected to be involved in the operation has been detained by Russian police.

As per Ukrainian officials, they have been planning this operation for 1-1.5 years, codenamed Operation Spiderweb. SBU added that people involved in the operation returned to Ukraine from Russia long ago. Therefore, Russia will be able to arrest only drivers and others associated with the trucks, who had no knowledge about Operation Spiderweb.

By smuggling drones deep into Russia on trucks and then launching them from very close range, Ukraine was able to precisely target Russian military aircraft parked at the airfields. As per Ukraine, they were able to hit over 40 aircraft, including Tu-95 and Tu-22M3 bombers, and at least one A-50 airborne early warning aircraft. 

Notably, Russian strategic bombers Tu-95 and Tu-22M3 are no longer in production, and therefore the destroyed aircraft can’t be replenished on short notice. SBU estimates total Russian loss to be more than $2 billion.

Using drones smuggled deep into Russia is a noble way of military attack that Ukraine used on 1st June. This shows how airbases with multiple military aircraft worth billions of dollars can be destroyed using drones that cost less than $500, and good old fashioned clandestine operation to smuggle them in enemy country and find gullible truck drivers to drive them to the target locations.

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