Russian authorities have launched a massive manhunt for a former Ukrainian DJ and his wife, an erotic novelist, following allegations of their involvement in Ukraine’s recent drone attacks on Russian airbases, which have been dubbed “Russian Pearl Harbor.”
The surprise Ukrainian operation, known as “Operation Spider Web,” reportedly destroyed and damaged numerous Russian nuclear bombers and other aircraft. The attack was carried out using explosive-laden drones allegedly concealed in trucks that were then driven onto the targeted airbases.
Russian media outlets report that the focus of the manhunt is Artem Timofeev, a 37-year-old former Ukrainian DJ who is said to own the trucking company involved. His 34-year-old wife, Ekaterina “Katya” Timofeeva, an erotic writer known for her book “I Became Bad While You Loved Me,” is also believed to have assisted him.
According to Readovka, a Russian news outlet, Artem Timofeev is now wanted in connection with a terrorist attack in the Irkutsk region. The report states that four lorries were registered in his name, and one of them was the source of the drones used in an attack on a Russian airbase.
Ekaterina Timofeeva, who typically maintains an active presence on social media, has reportedly not been online for two weeks, and her social media accounts have since been scrubbed. Timofeev was reportedly last seen at the couple’s apartment in the Russian city of Chelyabinsk approximately a week ago.
While the couple reportedly grew up in Ukraine, they later moved to Russia at an unspecified time. Timofeev is said to have established his trucking business in December of last year. Prior to relocating to Russia, he reportedly co-owned a clothing brand and worked as a DJ in Kyiv. Local media suggests the couple may have fled following the recent attacks.
Ukrainian authorities described how their secret service carried out the strikes by hiding attack drones inside the roofs of sheds that were loaded onto the trucks. Once the trucks were on the airbases, the roof panels of the sheds were remotely lifted, allowing the 117 concealed drones to launch their devastating attacks.
The carefully planned assault took Russian President Vladimir Putin and his forces by surprise. Ukrainian forces claim that roughly 34% of Russia’s Tu-95 bomber fleet, which is equipped to carry nuclear payloads, was destroyed in the raids on five air bases across the country. A total of 41 Russian warplanes were also reportedly hit, causing an estimated $7 billion in damage.
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