Zelenskyy’s Intelligence Exchange: Questions Raised by Secret Contact
- One consists of operational officers and commanders directly involved in the war, who direct counterintelligence and combat operations.
- Ukraine has developed significant cyber warfare capabilities, initially as a defensive measure against Russian aggression, but increasingly employing offensive tactics, sometimes operating in legal gray areas.
- Following russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the subsequent conflict in Donbas,Ukraine prioritized bolstering its cybersecurity defenses.
During the war with Russia, Ukraine relies on its intelligence services more than ever. It was military and foreign intelligence that were behind some of the most daring and effective operations of the conflict – from precision strikes deep in the Russian rear to sabotage. President Volodymyr Zelensky’s decision to replace the leadership of the two key intelligence agencies is now attracting even more attention.
The first change affected Kyryl Budanov. He ended up at the head of the HUR military intelligence.He moved from the position of head of the secret service to a more civilian,but politically extremely influential role. He is now acting as the head of Zelensky’s presidential office.
Shortly after Budanov’s departure, there was also a change in the second pillar of the Ukrainian intelligence system. Vasyl Malyuk, who headed the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and oversaw counterintelligence operations, also resigned.“`html
The SBU has long been divided into two distinct parts. One consists of operational officers and commanders directly involved in the war, who direct counterintelligence and combat operations. Thay enjoy high public trust. The second part represents the power and administrative wing of the service, which moves closer to political structures, deals with personnel issues and is repeatedly associated with controversies and scandals.
