Mission “Spider” carried out on June 1 this year. It was prepared secretly for 18 months by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and was aimed at hitting five strategic air bases, causing significant damage to the fleet of Moscow's long -range bombers.
The most surprised by military analysts and intelligence experts, the distance from which Ukrainians conducted attacks, because some goals were over 4,500 km from the Russian border with Ukraine, significantly beyond the reach of the known range of action of any Ukrainian weapon.
Reserve general Virgil Balacean, a former representative of Romania at the NATO command in Brussels and the former head of a multinational brigade in southeastern Europe, he told in an interview for Libertatea not only about this spectacular action, but also about what the current situation of both sides of the conflict looks like, the situation on the front and what to expect in the coming time. – The Russians are preparing for the summer offensive and want to obtain a more important area in the summary region. Let's hope that Ukrainians will be able to withstand – he announces.
An experienced Romanian officer also mentions a very important strategic asset, which Ukrainians fully use during the ongoing armed conflict.
This advantage is the fact that most Ukrainian army officers have been trained in Russia, and therefore they know Russian and the mentality of the invaders perfectly.
Libertatea: How do you assess the possibility of such a military operation?
Virgil Balaceanu: She went thanks to the fact that the Ukrainians dared to undertake such a special operation, planned it and prepared it in the smallest details in terms of information and counterintelligence. They chose the best soldiers who can perform such a mission. They devoted a lot of time to preparing it.
We do not know to what extent the operational groups managed to penetrate, how long they stayed in the territory of the Russian Federation. They took the risk associated with the disclosure of such a mission. It was not a surprising action in terms of the preparation period – that is, if it was planned in a relatively short time, week, two weeks – but it was planned and implemented for a very long time, all details were refined because we are talking about over a year and a half.
[Ukraińcy] They found the most sensitive and easiest areas to attack, because they took the target of the air base where strategic aircraft were arranged in the open. From what they were telling us, they also managed to effectively withdraw people who took part in the action. This is a mission that shows that Ukrainians are still active in the field of defense.
Continuation of the material under the video
How can this affect Russia's armed forces?
If we talk about 40 or 41 aircraft that can no longer fly, the impact on the Russian air and nuclear forces is significant. However, we do not know how many planes have been destroyed. There is 34 percent in public space. If we look at some information, they produced [Rosjanie]When it comes to 22N tupolewy, about 500 aircraft, of which 280 are operational. But these numbers are not accurate because they are usually secret. As for military abilities data, intensive disinformation is carried out. However, from a strategic point of view it is a blow to the defense of the Russian Federation. The Russians use such aircraft to attack Ukraine with the help of maneuvering missiles of the KH series.
“Ukrainians know the way the Russians act very well”
Do you think that Ukrainians have an advantage because they know [rosyjski] Language, understand customs and know how Russian military leaders work?
The current resistance of the Ukrainian army – surprising even for the Russians, taking into account its lack during the first invasion of Crimea in 2014 – according to two factors. One of them is a very good preparation of Ukrainian soldiers in eight years, between 2014 and 2022. At that time, commanders and soldiers were trained in fighting with two separatist regions.
General Wałerij Załużny (former commander of the Ukrainian army – editor's note) once said that over 400,000 Ukrainian soldiers experienced war in the demarcation zone [oddzielającej walczące strony]. They know the mentality of the Russian army's procedures and techniques, because a significant part of the senior commanders have been trained in Russian defense -related educational institutions.
Thanks to this, they know the way Russians, their psychology, ways of influencing their psyche, the procedures used, the planning and implementation of the mission. The second factor is that Ukrainians used the West support in the field of planning and even training.
How do you assess the current situation of the Ukrainian army?
They did not lose their initiative, even though they defend themselves on all fronts. In addition, they accelerate the offensive on the territory of the enemy. For over nine months they have been conducting an offensive with the Siewiersk operational group. They currently act quite actively, conducting tactical penetration of the territory of Belgoród [w Rosji] And they have been there for several months.
The presence of the reconnaissance groups of Ukrainians in the Bryńska region was also reported [miasto w Rosji]. They still attack the long -range drones of the aerial base and important cities, especially Moscow. Now they have made a strategic large -scale surprise for the Russian Federation, which consisted of infiltration, preparing a mission in the territory [Rosji]in addition to the long period of detailed preparation of this mission on the territory of Ukraine, they acted in strategic depths, weakened the abilities of the Russian Air Force and strategic nuclear forces. Of course, we do not know the exact number of aircraft that have been excluded from the fight as a result of serious damage and we will not find out because we are witnessing war propaganda of both sides.
But the mission itself, at the strategic level, as a surprise of the Russian Federation, is a successful mission. And now we are talking about the new general (Vasyl Maluk, the head of the SBU), who shows that he can manage and organize specific missions. Just like General Oleksandr Syrski, who is the author of other actions aimed at the surprise of the Russians, such as a counteroffensive from 2022, whose most important achievement was the surprise of them in the Kharkiv and Lugansk region, where Ukrainian forces entered a depth of 60-80 km. Syrski is also the author and commander, not directly, but indirectly, offensive activities in the Kursk region, which have been going on for over nine months.
In addition, the freedom to move Russian naval forces from the Russian Black Sea Fleet is still very limited, because Ukrainians have shown that they have shocking skills, both with the help of sea drones operating at very large distances, and using significant explosives, such as those used to sink the Moscow cruiser. It should be noted that such activities are used in Ukraine, because Western support was very limited in the territory of the Russian Federation.
The army of Ukraine carried out a number of offenses on the territory of the enemy, while defending itself in almost 13, if not 15 operational directions. The pace of the Russian offensive remains low.
Sergey Dolzhenko / PAP
Vasyl Maluk, head of the Ukraine Security Service
The importance of support for Ukraine
How do you assess the situation on the front?
We will see if they will succeed because they are preparing for the summer offensive and want to get a more important area in the summary region. Let's hope that Ukrainians will be able to withstand, continuing offensive activities on many fronts. Let them keep the initiative, even if they are on the defensive in all directions.
How do you perceive the commitment and position of Romania towards this conflict?
As the president said [Rumunii] Nicusor Dan, supporting Ukraine means defending Romania. Supporting Ukraine means maintaining a geographical distance of the threat from Russia, as well as the maximum distance of the spectrum of war from the Romanian borders.
Let's hope that Ukrainians will still be able to defend themselves, hence the need to focus Western countries on preventing the lane in the eastern zone of the border that Vladimir Putin wants. Such Russia's success can lead to the conclusion that a similar zone, a similar corridor, will also be created in the south. Novorossia project [kraina historyczna na terenie dzisiejszej południowo-wschodniej Ukrainy, Mołdawii, separatystycznego Naddniestrza oraz południowo-zachodniej Rosji] He was not abandoned by Putin.
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
