{
  "id": 7830601,
  "title": "Moscow court frees four truck drivers unwittingly used by Ukraine in 2025 ‘Operation Spiderweb’ drone attack on Russian military airfields",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/moscow-court-frees-four-truck-drivers-unwittingly-used-by-ukraine-in",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-16T16:52:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Meduza (English)",
    "slug": "meduza-english",
    "url": "https://meduza.io/en/news/2026/09/16/moscow-court-frees-four-truck-drivers-unwittingly-used-by-ukraine-in-2025-operation-spiderweb-drone-attack-on-russian-military-airfields"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On September 16, the Moscow City Court released four truck drivers who unknowingly transported Ukrainian drones to Russian military airfields during Operation Spiderweb on June 1, 2025. The court dismissed an Investigative Committee request to keep the defendants, Andrey Merkuryev, Alexander Zaitsev, Mikhail Ryumin, and Sergey Kanurin, in detention. The four are accused of carrying out a terrorist attack and transporting explosives as part of an organized group. Ukrainian security services claim the truckers were recruited by Artem and Ekaterina Timofeyev, a Ukrainian-born couple, to carry out terrorist attacks in Russia. The four drivers were allegedly unaware of the drones hidden in their trucks. One driver, 62-year-old Vasily Pytikov, died in an explosion during the operation. The defendants insist they alerted authorities after the drones emerged and tried to stop them.",
  "summary": "The Moscow City Court released four drivers whose trucks Ukrainian security services used to launch drones at Russian military airfields during Operation Spiderweb, Kommersant reported.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 6,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "New Voice of Ukraine",
        "title": "Russian court releases truck drivers linked to drone launches after evidence falls short",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/russian-court-releases-truck-drivers-linked-to-drone-launches-after",
        "published": "2026-09-16T14:30:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Insider",
        "title": "Court frees drivers whose trucks were used in Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb attacks on Russian airfields",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/court-frees-drivers-whose-trucks-were-used-in-ukraines-operation",
        "published": "2026-09-16T15:53:45.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Meduza (English)",
        "title": "Kyiv says Belarus reactivated relays that helped Russian drones strike a gas station and passenger train near Ukraine’s border with Poland",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/kyiv-says-belarus-reactivated-relays-that-helped-russian-drones",
        "published": "2026-09-16T16:29:27.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "CBC News",
        "title": "Russian drones hit bus, train in Ukraine, killing 5: officials",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/russian-drones-hit-bus-train-in-ukraine-killing-5-officials",
        "published": "2026-09-16T17:17:13.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Kyiv Independent",
        "title": "Ukraine war latest: Russian general eliminated in occupied part of Donetsk Oblast, military says",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/ukraine-war-latest-russian-general-eliminated-in-occupied-part-of",
        "published": "2026-09-16T18:47:51.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}