A former DJ from Ukraine has been named by Russian news as the supposed mastermind of Operation Spiderweb, a secret Ukrainian operation that targeted deep into Russia, targeting strategic bomber airbases. The individual, who is called Artem Timofeev, is suspected of operating the campaign from Russia.
The heavy-duty drone attack occurred on Sunday, hitting four airbases and destroying a third of Russia’s nuclear bomber force, according to reports. The manner and finesse of the raid have been likened to SAS-style raids.
Who is Artem Timofeev?
Reports have it that 37-year-old Artem Timofeev, a past DJ in Ukraine, is said to have owned the lorries that offloaded containers used in the operation. The Daily Mail added that drivers of the trucks involved had the same testimonies of being given instructions from an ‘Artem’-named person.
They had been informed by the latter that the containers they carried contained wooden frame houses without knowing that the cargo was part of a significant drone operation.
A Russian blogger further contributed that four trucks were registered under Timofeev’s name, and asserted that at least one of them was allegedly used in the attacks in the Irkutsk region. The blogger also asserted that Timofeev is currently wanted in regards to the attacks.
Family and Location Under Scrutiny
Other reports indicate that Artem’s wife, Ekaterina Timofeeva, could have been involved in the operation as well. The couple has been associated with a flat in Chelyabinsk, Russia. Artem was seen at the address barely a week to the attacks, according to The US Sun.
After the attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed, “all those involved with the operation had been removed from Russia.” If Timofeev was behind Operation Spiderweb, he might no longer be on Russian soil.
Ukraine’s Most Daring Strike Yet
The brazen drone strike that rattled Russia’s strategic bomber bases apparently started with an order from President Zelensky to Ukraine’s intelligence chief in late 2023. The operation took more than a year and a half to prepare and is being described as one of the most audacious missions since the war started in February 2022.
Since Russia’s strategic bombers fly from bases well beyond the range of Ukraine’s air-defence systems up to 3,000 miles, the Ukrainian SBU intelligence agency hatched a complex plot. They smuggled components for the drones into Russia, built the drones at a secret workshop, and then launched them through concealed compartments in the roofs of containers carried by unsuspecting truckers.
During the operation day, these containers were brought near the intended airbases. The roofs of the containers opened remotely, releasing hundreds of drones. Ukraine said it had destroyed 41 warplanes costing $7 billion through the use of drones that only cost them $2,000 each.
