Court frees drivers whose trucks were used in Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb attacks on Russian airfields

On September 16, the Moscow City Court released four truck drivers who unknowingly participated in attacks on Russian military airfields during Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) utilized the drivers' vehicles to carry concealed Ukrainian drones, which were remotely activated and launched from the trailers, targeting Russian airfields in multiple regions.

The court released the truckers - Andrei Merkuryev, Alexander Zaitsev, Mikhail Ryumin, and Sergei Kanurin - after Russia's Prosecutor General's Office declined to approve an indictment prepared by the Investigative Committee. The authorities claimed that there was insufficient evidence against the defendants, who were alleged to have transported explosives and committed a terrorist attack.

However, the Moscow City Court dismissed the request for an extension of detention until October 12, as the investigators had no legal grounds to keep the defendants in custody.

The defendants deny any wrongdoing and identify themselves as "Russian patriots." They claim that after the drones emerged from their trucks, they immediately called the police, attempted to shoot down the drones, and tried to minimize the damage caused to the airfields. The court found that there was no longer any legal basis to maintain their pretrial detention, and the four drivers were freed on September 16.