Russia May Hand Out Medals for Throwing Rocks at Ukrainian Drones in Response to Operation Spider Web

Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev announced on June 2 that several “concerned citizens” who attempted to stop drones launched from a truck by throwing stones at them during Ukraine’s operation “Spiderweb” on June 1 would be nominated for awards. One of them, he noted, was a Belarusian national.

Kobzev referenced social media videos showing people “to interfere with the work of drones,” saying a regional task force would evaluate their actions and decide on rewards.

"In the operational staff, we will evaluate the actions of concerned citizens who tried to interfere with the work of drones and decide on their recognition," Kobzev wrote on Telegram.

Commenters on Kobzev’s post pointed out that some locals used shotguns to try and shoot down the drones but were not included among those nominated for recognition.

He did not disclose the extent of damage or the current condition of the Belaya airfield, which was one of the targets in the SBU ’s coordinated strike. Instead, he reminded residents to “trust only official sources of information” and urged them “not to panic or discuss the incident online.”

Roman Kolesov, the region’s first deputy governor—tasked with coordinating emergency response in the Usolye district—has already held an on-site meeting of Irkutsk’s emergency and fire safety commission.

This marks the first drone strike on Siberia since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Kolesov noted. Russia’s Ministry of Defense also confirmed that airfields in Murmansk, Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur regions were targeted in the same wave of attacks.

One of the so-called “concerned citizens” was later identified as Anton Matskevich, a long-haul truck driver from Belarus. “Everyone helped to stop them from taking off,” he told reporters. “They were inside the truck, and we threw stones to keep them grounded.”

Earlier, it was reported that the truck drivers who unknowingly delivered strike drones to Russian strategic airbases were monitored throughout their journeys and unaware of the true nature of their cargo, according to Russian investigative outlet Baza, citing interrogation records, on June 2.

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