Hungover Russians unintentionally foil Ukraine’s ‘Pearl Harbour’ Moscow assault
The Security Service of Ukraine had smuggled dozens of drones into Russia for the operation and hoped to time the strikes around Russia’s Victory Day on May 9
Ukraine’s audacious plan to strike Moscow’s bomber fleet was nearly derailed by an unlikely obstacle: a shortage of sober Russian drivers. According to accounts shared with the Wall Street Journal, an unexpected wave of hungover motorists forced Kyiv to delay what has been described as a “Pearl Harbor”-style attack on Russian air bases.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) had smuggled dozens of drones into Russia for the covert operation and hoped to time the strikes around Russia’s Victory Day on May 9.
The intention, officials said, was to embarrass the Kremlin during a key national celebration. But the combination of Victory Day, Labour Day and Orthodox Easter created an unforeseen logistical problem.
For Operation Spider’s Web to work, Ukraine needed a selection of unwitting Russian truck drivers to carry the drones to their final locations. The drivers believed they were transporting mobile wooden cabins.
However, SBU officials explained that there was a small pool of drivers to choose from during the holiday as hungover drivers took the day off, leaving too few suitable candidates and making a May attack too risky.
It was not until late May that Ukraine and its agents finally identified a set of drivers able to undertake the multi-day journey. The operation was eventually launched on July 1, resulting in 41 Russian bombers damaged or destroyed across four remote airfields. The holiday hangovers were only the first of several setbacks.
During one leg of the journey, a local driver noticed that the roof of one of the cabins had come loose. On inspection, he found the hidden drones inside.
Alarmed, he telephoned his employer for an explanation. At the other end of the call was Artem Timofeev, a 37-year-old former Ukrainian DJ living in Russia, who had volunteered alongside his wife to assemble the drones and cabins.
Timofeev reportedly feigned ignorance when the truck driver called him, following instructions from the SBU on how to convince the man that the equipment was simply for hunting.
The ruse worked and the driver replaced the roof and continued his trip.
Other problems soon emerged. One truck suffered a mechanical failure, forcing Timofeev and SBU contacts to transfer the cargo to another vehicle without arousing suspicion.
On a separate route, Ukraine lost connection with two cabins carrying drones because of patchy communications. Officials attempted to guide a Russian driver through a fix without revealing what he was handling.
Eventually, the driver stopped answering calls. The SBU later learned through online images and posts that the cargo had caught fire, detonating the drones and killing the man.
Despite the close calls, Operation Spider’s Web ultimately achieved its aim. Ukrainian intelligence struck deep inside Russia, severely damaging long-range aircraft thousands of miles from Ukrainian territory.
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