Operation Spider’s Web: SBU mission so secret even insiders were left in the dark

Ivan Stupak, military expert and former SBU officer (2004-2015), reported the information.

“It is interesting that, firstly, the Russians obtained no information about the operation, and secondly, the level of secrecy was so high that even inside the organization only a handful of people were aware,” said Andriy Stupak, a former officer of Ukraine’s Security Service.

According to him, at the first stage of Operation Spider’s Web, only five to seven people knew the full plan. As the operation progressed, more individuals were brought in, but each was given only as much information as strictly necessary — some received 20% of the picture, others up to 70%.

“However, those who knew 100% — from the very beginning to the end, including all visualizations — were a very limited circle: the president, the head of the SBU, and a few direct executors,” Stupak noted.

• On June 1, 2025, the Security Service of Ukraine carried out a large operation called Spider's Web to destroy Russian bomber aviation.
• The head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Vasyl Malyuk, revealed details of the historic special operation Spider's Web, during which more than 40 Russian military aircraft were damaged.
• Aviation expert and analyst Kostiantyn Kryvolap noted that Ukraine is achieving significant success and demonstrating a completely new level of warfare. The Spider's Web operation even has geopolitical impact.