Operation Spiderweb (Pavutyna), carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) on June 1 this year, was one of the most high-profile attacks in the history of the Ukrainian special services. According to SBU head, Lt. Gen. Vasyl Malyuk, the success of the operation was ensured by a unique symbiosis of human intelligence and technical capabilities, implemented deep behind enemy lines.
“Pavutyna is a unique, multi-stage operation that includes a number of critically important components. It involves logistics – delivering 150 combat FPV drones into enemy territory, transporting ‘hunting’ cabins for their deployment, human intelligence work, communications, and more. Our work becomes most effective when there is the right symbiosis of human intelligence and technical components,” Malyuk said on Tuesday, Aug. 12, in an interview with the “We Are Ukraine” TV channel.
To prepare for the operation, the SBU created a front company in Chelyabinsk – a logistics firm with an office and warehouses located literally one block from the local FSB headquarters. Agents purchased five cargo trucks and, over an extended period, transported various goods to solidify their cover story.
A particular challenge was bringing sanctioned goods into Russia – in particular, battery stations and solar panels needed for the autonomous operation of drones in harsh climatic conditions.
“We went through ‘seven circles of hell’ to achieve the result,” Malyuk emphasized.
The FPV drones used had several communication channels and a specially developed warhead – two charges of 800 grams each, with a shaped-charge high-explosive effect. This allowed them to burn through the aircraft’s fuselage and cause a powerful internal explosion.
When the Russian drivers, unknowingly hired for the task, set off for designated airfields with the cabins, Ukrainian agents had already left Russian territory.
“They came to me at one of the command posts, and I had the honor to personally thank them,” the SBU head recounted.
The execution of the plan took place under strict secrecy – only a few people knew the details. On the day of the operation, the best drone operators from the SBU’s Alpha Special Operations Center gathered at the command post. The President of Ukraine was in direct contact with them, and according to Malyuk, he “accelerated” the execution of the plan.
As a result of Operation Spiderweb on June 1, 41 aircraft were struck – one-third of Russia’s strategic aviation. These aircraft constituted a key component of the enemy’s nuclear triad and were regularly used to launch cruise missile strikes against Ukraine.
The audacious long-distance operation attacked at least five airfields, in Russia’s Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ryazan, and Amur regions, where strategic bombers and surveillance aircraft were located. While the number of aircraft destroyed and damaged continues to be debated, this success has more than bloodied the Russian air force’s nose.