Katharine Petrich
This article explores the possibility of Ukraine’s strategic use of domestic organized crime networks as an asset in its asymmetric war against Russia, using the case study of Operation Spider’s Web. By leveraging the logistical expertise, transnational reach, and deniability of criminal groups, Ukrainian security services could amplify their operational capabilities beyond conventional means. While effective, this collaboration raises complex risks for governance, legitimacy, and long-term postwar stability.
Introduction
On June 1, 2025, after eighteen months of preparation, Ukraine launched a covert attack deep inside Russia, causing upwards of $7 billion USD in damage. Called Operation Spider’s Web, the attacks were executed by small drones that had been smuggled into Russia over the course of the past year through “covert logistical routes.” The drones were moved overland using trucks ostensibly hauling routine cargo – in this case, prefabricated buildings with drones concealed in the roofs.
Beyond the immediate damage, the secondary costs are significant: Russia must either accept the expense of fortifying or relocating countless military assets – those previously thought to be protected by ‘safe’ geography – or they must accept that these assets now exist on the front lines. Operation Spider’s Web was a clear success and much has been written about it, but fundamental logistical questions persist: How, exactly, did a production line in Ukraine deliver drones throughout Russia? Who dropped the containers off on the side of the road or parked them at gas stations within striking distance of the Russian airfields? Who confirmed the assets were in position?
Open-source reporting and Ukrainian government characterizes this as a highly sophisticated, technical covert operation carried out by the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU). According to President Zelensky, the SBU set up a secret assembly line within Russia itself – so component parts were manufactured in Ukraine, smuggled across the border, transported to Central Russia, assembled, hidden in shipping containers, and then deployed. Some reporting suggests that the truck drivers who transported the goods were unknowing patsies, but the Ukrainian government has stated any personnel who were involved in the operation were safely back on the Ukrainian side of the border before the attack commenced, with the implication all personnel involved were Ukrainian intelligence and special operations.
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