The Weekend Intelligence: Inside Operation Spiderweb

周末情报:蜘蛛网行动内幕

The Intelligence from The Economist

2025-06-14

35 分钟
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单集简介 ...

We live in a time of rising conflict. The more war, the more creatively strategists push further, gain the upper hand, and pre-emptively strike. Leaving their enemies scrambling to work out what on earth happened and how to stop it happening again.  And so it is with Ukraine. In early June the country's intelligence network delivered a decisive blow, deep in Russian territory. Lorries carrying what appeared to be garden sheds suddenly opened, releasing drones, and destroying some of Russia's most strategically important aircraft. Some eighteen months in the making, it was a piece of spycraft worthy of the history books.  On this episode of The Weekend Intelligence Oliver Carroll, our Ukraine correspondent, and Shashank Joshi, our defence correspondent, take us into the heart of the shadowy spy agency behind this incredible mission.    Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.
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单集文稿 ...

  • A man is standing next to his truck in a motorway lay-by in eastern Siberia.

  • Cars are streaming past.

  • It's the sort of day skiers call a bluebird.

  • Brilliant blue skies, a few clouds in the distance, peaceful.

  • Then, out of nowhere,

  • smoke starts emerging from the truck and an extraordinary scene begins to unfold.

  • The truck's roof has been pulled back.

  • A drone starts flying out.

  • And then it follows a lesson in non-standard Russian lexicon that deserves a dissertation someday.

  • I've no idea where it's taking off.

  • Look at this clown.

  • Out of fucking nowhere.

  • Bam!

  • Well, I'll be damned.

  • What the hell has tech come to?

  • The drone flies over the motorway and off into the distance.

  • The blue sky becomes invisible... ...as grey clouds of dust and debris rise up from the ground No one understands what's happening People try to investigate They try to stop the drones Suddenly there's gunfire More Russian expletives In the confusion one person,

  • maybe more... ...climb into the truck They don't make it out The truck explodes And all across Russia, devices start pinging with alerts.

  • This, as we now know, was Operation Bavutina.

  • Operation Spiderweb.