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Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Operation Spider Web: Was an Ukrainian ex-DJ and his erotic novelist wife behind Russian 'Pearl Harbor' attack?
Ukraine executed a surprise attack deep within Russia, reportedly destroying at least 40 bombers. Moscow is now hunting for Artem Timofeev, a former Ukrainian DJ, and his wife, Ekaterina, an erotic fiction writer. They are suspected of orchestrating the drone strike, dubbed "Operation Spider Web," which significantly damaged Russia's aircraft and long-range aviation capabilities. FILE - This photo released by Irkutsk regional Gov. Igor Kobzev's Telegram channel on Sunday, June 1, 2025, shows a burning truck that apparently was used to launch Ukrainian drones. (Irkutsk Gov. Igor Kobzev Telegram Channel via AP, File) Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads A Devastating Surprise Attack Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Who Are Artem and Katya? A Pattern of Secrecy and Subterfuge Ukraine earlier this week, in a massive surprise attack, caught Russian military forces off guard. In the attack, deep inside the Russian territory, the Ukraine forces reportedly destroyed atleast 40 Russian bombers, giving Moscow a huge blow in the ongoing war. Now Russia has reportedly launched a massive manhunt for a former Ukrainian DJ and his wife, an erotic fiction writer, who are suspected of helping orchestrate the dramatic drone strike which is now being referred as the "Russian Pearl Harbor."According to a report of New York Post, the pair, Artem Timofeev , 37, and Ekaterina 'Katya' Timofeeva, 34, are accused of assisting Ukraine in the devastating 'Operation Spider Web', which reportedly destroyed or damaged dozens of Russian aircraft, including nuclear-capable surprise strike, carried out using explosives-laden drones hidden inside truck-mounted sheds. According to Ukrainian intelligence sources, 117 drones were concealed inside the roofs of portable sheds loaded onto trucks, which were then driven into various air in place, a remote-trigger mechanism lifted the roofs, allowing the drones to launch and inflict massive damage. Ukrainian forces claim the strikes took out 34% of Russia's Tu-95 nuclear bomber fleet and hit five separate air bases, causing an estimated $7 billion in authorities believe the trucks used in the attack were owned by a company registered to Timofeev, a former DJ from Kyiv who later relocated to Russia. Russian media reports he founded his trucking business in December last wife, Katya Timofeeva , known for her provocative novel 'I Became Bad While You Loved Me,' is suspected of assisting in the operation. She has reportedly disappeared from social media in the past two weeks, deleting her normally active accounts.'Artem is now wanted in connection with a terrorist attack in the Irkutsk region,' reported Russian news outlet Readovka, adding that four trucks registered in his name were linked to the drone couple were last seen at their apartment in Chelyabinsk, Russia, and are now believed to be on the to moving to Russia, Timofeev reportedly co-owned a fashion brand in Ukraine and worked as a DJ in the Kyiv nightlife scene. Their move to Russia and subsequent business activity have raised suspicions that they may have been embedded agents or assets working covertly with Ukrainian plot behind 'Operation Spider Web' has been hailed by some analysts as one of the most sophisticated and damaging covert attacks carried out on Russian soil since the war strike's scale and precision has stunned Russian defense officials and reportedly infuriated the Kremlin. Analysts say the losses dealt a significant blow to Russia's long-range aviation capabilities, especially given the Tu-95 bombers' role in strategic nuclear deterrence.
News Lens
2 days ago
- Politics
- News Lens
烏克蘭版木馬屠城：無人機藏棚屋運入俄境，發動奇襲毀41架戰機 - TNL The News Lens 關鍵評論網
這是伊爾庫次克州首次出現烏克蘭無人機。根據烏克蘭安全官員說法，這項代號「蜘蛛網」的行動由澤倫斯基和烏克蘭安全局局長馬列克親自督導。若得到證實，這項行動會是烏克蘭無人機在俄烏戰爭中最具破壞力的襲擊，將是莫斯科一大挫敗。 （中央社）據烏克蘭安全官員和上傳網路影像，烏方情報機構將攜帶爆裂物的無人機藏進木製棚屋屋頂，以卡車送到深入俄羅斯境內超過4000公里處，今天對俄國基地的戰略轟炸機發動一波奇襲。 《 路透社 》 報導，這些棚屋被裝上卡車，運到俄國空軍基地周邊。烏國官員指出，棚屋屋頂金屬板可透過遙控啟動機制掀起，好讓無人機飛出進行攻擊。 ❗️Photos of containers with a secret compartment for drones that attacked 🇷🇺Russian airfields today have been published — 🪖MilitaryNewsUA🇺🇦 (@front_ukrainian) June 1, 2025 🎥 Footage shows Ukraine's large-scale drone strike on Russian airfields Olenya, Ivanovo, Dyagilevo and Belaya, reportedly damaging over 40 bomber jets 👉 Russia confirms the attack, reporting that there are no casualties among military or civilian personnel… — Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) June 1, 2025 不願意具名的這名安全官員表示，無人機昨（1）日對4座俄羅斯空軍基地發動襲擊，一共擊中41架戰機。 《 路透社 》 目前無法獨立查證這項說法。 《 法新社 》 報導，烏克蘭安全局（SBU）昨天表示，價值計達70億美元的俄羅斯軍機遇襲。該機構在社群媒體發文說：「70億美元，這是今天被擊中的敵人戰略飛機估計的成本，是烏克蘭安全局特別行動的成果。」 俄羅斯社群媒體上未經證實的影片和照片顯示，西伯利亞伊爾庫次克州（Irkutsk）貝拉雅（Belaya）空軍基地內的俄羅斯戰略轟炸機起火燃燒。當地距烏克蘭邊界超過4000公里。 據 《 美聯社 》 報導，烏克蘭官員指出，這項攻擊計畫的執行費時超過一年半，由總統澤倫斯基（Volodymyr Zelenskyy）親自督導。 伊爾庫次克州州長科布澤夫（Igor Kobzev）表示，離貝拉雅基地不遠的斯列德尼村（Sredny）附近一個軍事單位遭無人機攻擊，不過他並未具體說明攻擊目標為何。科布澤夫表示，這些無人機是從一部卡車上發射。 ❗️The 🇷🇺Russians are also publishing footage of FPV drones taking off from truck containers that attacked Russian airfields. — 🪖MilitaryNewsUA🇺🇦 (@front_ukrainian) June 1, 2025 他還說，這是伊爾庫次克州首次出現烏克蘭無人機。 根據烏克蘭安全官員說法，這項代號「蜘蛛網」（Spider's Web）的行動由澤倫斯基和烏克蘭安全局局長馬列克（Vasyl Maliuk）親自督導。 若得到證實，這項行動會是烏克蘭無人機在俄烏戰爭中最具破壞力的襲擊，將是莫斯科一大挫敗。 《 法新社 》 報導，在烏克蘭大規模無人機攻擊行動後，俄羅斯方面昨天也已證實有數架軍機「起火」，並表示嫌疑人已遭拘捕。 俄羅斯國防部在通訊平台Telegram上表示：「在莫曼斯克州（Murmansk）和伊爾庫次克州，第一人稱視角（FPV）無人機從緊鄰機場地區發射後，有數架飛機起火。」俄國國防部還說，目前並未傳出人員傷亡，已經逮捕數名「參與者」。 新聞來源 烏克蘭版木馬屠城 無人機藏棚屋頂運入俄境襲41架戰機[影]（中央社） 延伸閱讀 【加入關鍵評論網會員】每天精彩好文直送你的信箱，每週獨享編輯精選、時事精選、藝文週報等特製電子報。還可留言與作者、記者、編輯討論文章內容。立刻點擊免費加入會員！ 責任編輯：朱家儀 核稿編輯：翁世航 看更多 俄羅斯 烏克蘭 無人機 攻擊 空軍基地 軍機 澤倫斯基 烏克蘭安全局
Russia Today
2 days ago
- General
- Russia Today
Russian civilians who tried to down Ukrainian drones to be rewarded – governor (VIDEO)
A group of men who were filmed throwing stones at incoming Ukrainian drones in Irkutsk Region in Siberia will be rewarded for their actions, local governor Igor Kobzev has said. On Sunday, military airfields in five Russian regions, including Irkutsk, came under coordinated drone attacks orchestrated by Ukraine, the Defense Ministry in Moscow said. Most of the incoming UAVs were destroyed, but some made it through and caused damage, the ministry said, adding that several aircraft caught fire in Murmansk and Irkutsk Region. According to both Ukrainian and Russian media, the explosive-laden drones were launched from trucks parked near the bases. Following the attack, a video went viral on social media showing civilians in the Usolsky District of Irkutsk Region risking their lives in an attempt to stop the UAVs from taking off. The footage captured several men, who have been described in the media as truck drivers, climbing atop the tractor-trailer that had been releasing the drones and throwing stones at them. Kobzev wrote in a post on Telegram on Monday that the regional authorities had also taken notice of 'the footage of concerned citizens, who tried to prevent the drones from operating.' 'The operational headquarters will assess their actions and make a decision on how to reward them,' he said. The situation in Usolsky District is currently under the control of the authorities, with no threat to the population, the governor added. The Ukrainian drone attack came a day ahead of the second round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul, Türkiye on Monday, during which the sides are expected to discuss each other's proposals on ways to settle the conflict. Russian officials suggested earlier that the intensification of Ukrainian UAV incursions into Russia in recent weeks are an attempt to derail the US-brokered peace process between Moscow and Kiev.
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First Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
Is Ukraine's Spider's Web operation Russia's ‘Pearl Harbor' moment? The debate explained
Ukraine stunned Moscow on Sunday with its drone strike on multiple air bases deep inside Russian territory. Kyiv claims to have destroyed 41 warplanes as it launched 117 drones in the operation codenamed 'Spider's Web'. Some military commentators and pro-Russia bloggers have called the drone assault Russia's 'Pearl Harbor'. Here's a comparison read more This photo released by Governor of Irkutsk region Igor Kobzev Telegram channel on June 1, 2025 shows a truck apparently used to release Ukrainian drones seen burning in the Irkutsk region. Governor of Irkutsk via AP Russia and Ukraine held direct peace talks on Monday (June 2) in Turkey, a day after Kyiv's surprise drone attacks against air bases deep inside Russian soil. The shadow of the operation, codenamed 'Spider's Web', loomed large as the warring sides met for just over an hour amid little hope for a breakthrough. Some military commentators and pro-Russian Telegram channels are dubbing Ukraine's weekend drone attack as Russia's 'Pearl Harbor' moment. As speculation over Moscow's expected response grows, we take a look at the similarities and differences between Ukraine's Spider's Web operation and America's Pearl Harbor. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Ukraine's drone attack stuns Russia Ukraine on Sunday (June 1) attacked strategic bomber aircraft at several Russian air bases, using explosive-laden drones to hit the targets. According to the Ukraine's Security Service, Kyiv hit 41 Russian warplanes at military airfields, including A-50, Tu-95 and Tu-22M aircraft, reported Associated Press (AP). The Tupolev Tu-22M supersonic long-range strategic bombers are housed at the Belaya air base in the Irkutsk region of Siberia, over 4,000 kilometres from Ukraine. This was the first time Ukraine launched a drone attack so far from the front lines. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reacted to the drone assault, calling it an 'absolutely brilliant outcome'. 'And an outcome produced by Ukraine independently,' he wrote on Telegram. 'This is our longest-range operation.' Later, in his nightly video address, he said 117 drones were used in Operation Spider's Web. Zelenskyy stated that Russian forces suffered 'very tangible losses, and justifiably so', as per Reuters. He claimed the operation had been headquartered near a regional office of Russia's FSB intelligence service. As per the Ukrainian president, it took more than a year and a half to prepare for the complex operation. Ukraine smuggled hundreds of drones inside the roofs of wooden sheds, which were loaded onto trucks that were driven to the perimeter of the air bases, Reuters reported, citing a Ukrainian security official. 'At the right moment, the roofs of the houses were remotely opened, and the drones flew to hit Russian bombers,' a Ukrainian military source told AP. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Ukraine struck four air bases deep inside Russian territory in the operation personally supervised by Zelenskyy. The Security Service claims to have destroyed 34 per cent of Russia's strategic cruise missile carriers with damages estimated at $7 billion. Russia's Defense Ministry confirmed the drone assault, which damaged aircraft and ignited fires on air bases in the Irkutsk region and the Murmansk region in the north. Strikes were also reported in the Amur region in Russia's Far East and the western regions of Ivanovo and Ryazan. How Ukraine's drone attack compares to Pearl Harbor Some pro-Russia bloggers are calling Ukraine's large-scale drone strikes on Russian air bases the country's Pearl Harbor – a reference to Japan's attack in 1941 that triggered the United States' entry into World War II. 'We hope that the response will be the same as the US response to the attack on Pearl Harbor, or even tougher,' Roman Alekhin, a Russian military blogger, said on the messaging app Telegram. All eyes are now on Russia's retaliation to Ukraine's most damaging strikes of the war yet. Meanwhile, the similarity between Ukraine's strikes on Russia and the Imperial Japanese Navy's attack on the US naval base in Hawaii is the element of surprise. Both Russia and the US were caught off guard by the attacks, respectively. These assaults also showed the might of their adversaries. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This is where the similarities end. A major difference is that Russia and Ukraine are already at war. The neighbouring countries have been fighting since February 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine. However, when Japan struck the US naval base more than eight decades ago, America was not at war with the East Asian country. In fact, the attack led the US to declare war on Japan. The Pearl Harbor attack On December 7, 1941, Japan hit Pearl Harbor , the US naval base near Honolulu, Hawaii. After months of planning and practice, the Japanese forces launched a surprise attack to destroy the US Pacific Fleet. Hundreds of Japanese fighter planes rained bombs, bullets and aerial torpedoes on the Pacific Fleet. The attack damaged or destroyed nearly 20 American ships and more than 300 airplanes, as per Over 2,400 US sailors, soldiers and civilians were also killed. About half of those who died at Pearl Harbor were on the battleship USS Arizona, which was struck by a 1,800-pound bomb. Also, 1,178 people were wounded, while 129 Japanese soldiers were killed. This file photo shows the US Pacific Fleet as it burns in its home base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, after 360 Japanese warplanes made a massive surprise attack on December 7, 1941. File Photo/AFP The Japanese forces sank four of the eight US battleships at Pearl Harbor, while damaging the remaining four. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The day after the attack, the then-US President Franklin Roosevelt addressed a joint session of Congress, seeking a declaration of war. The Senate unanimously supported the declaration. After the president signed the declaration, the US officially entered World War II, more than two years after the conflict had begun. While Japan's attack on the US was a surprise, the two sides had been moving closer to war for decades. America had imposed economic sanctions on Japan to stop its expansionist agenda in Asia. This affected Japan's access to aircraft exports. Japanese forces attacked the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor to prevent the US challenge as Japan's armed forces spread across the South Pacific. With inputs from agencies
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Cracking Russia's shield: Inside Ukraine's drone tactic that took out nuclear-bombers
Ukraine on Sunday launched one of the most audacious operations of the Russian war so far. Kyiv used first-person-view (FPV) drones to strike 41 Russian warplanes across four airbases, including some as far away as Siberia. The attack, carried out by Ukraine's Security Service (SBU), inflicted what Kyiv claims is $7 billion in damages, targeting long-range bombers and surveillance aircraft that had been used to pummel Ukrainian towns. The assault, codenamed 'Spider's Web', marks Ukraine's longest-range strike since Russia's full-scale invasion began in 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called it a 'brilliant' operation that reached thousands of kilometres into Russian territory. According to the SBU, the attack damaged 34% of Russia's strategic cruise missile carriers, including the Tu-95 and Tu-22M3 bombers and one of the few remaining A-50 radar aircraft. The Kyiv Independent reported that the SBU's operation involved smuggling swarms of FPV drones inside Russia, concealed in wooden compartments built into trucks. These trucks, fitted with remotely controlled roofs, were parked near the targeted airbases. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Brass Idols - Handmade Brass Statues for Home & Gifting Luxeartisanship Buy Now Undo Once triggered, the compartments opened and the drones launched directly from within Russian territory, bypassing Moscow's layered air defences. As per Defence Update, the drones were stowed in modified cargo containers equipped with satellite uplinks and solar panels to maintain battery charge, allowing them to remain dormant until the strike was authorised. This approach reflects techniques similar to Israel's covert "supply chain" operations in the Middle East. The entire effort took more than a year and a half to prepare. The drones were reportedly controlled via fibre optic cables rather than radio frequencies, according to Ground Report. This method made them virtually immune to Russian electronic jamming and gave Ukrainian operators the precision needed to hit targets without detection. CNN, citing SBU sources, reported that the drones were not launched from Ukrainian soil but rather from locations 'in the immediate vicinity of the airbases,' confirming the deep infiltration involved. The airfields targeted included Belaya in eastern Siberia, Olenya in the Arctic, and Dyagilevo and Ivanovo, both east of Moscow. Though Russia's ministry of defence acknowledged that several aircraft had caught fire, it claimed the blazes were contained and that there were no casualties. Nevertheless, pro-Russian military bloggers described the event as a "black day for aviation." The Telegram channel Rybar, which is close to the Russian military, called it a 'very heavy blow' and pointed to major intelligence failures. Igor Kobzev, governor of Russia's Irkutsk region, said it was 'the first attack of this sort in Siberia,' and urged residents not to panic. Russian officials later announced the arrest of several suspects, including a truck driver allegedly involved in the operation. Zelenskyy, however, claimed that Ukrainian personnel who helped prepare the strike had already been extracted safely from Russian territory.
