(VitalNews.org) – According to officials from both the US and Ukraine, the unrestrained tactics employed by Ukraine of assassination attempts and sabotage since the Russian invasion put a strain on the deep relationship between Ukrainian intelligence and the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
The success of the Soviet-style intelligence apparatus of Ukraine is partly due to the CIA, which established deep ties with Ukrainian intelligence operatives ever since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.
The Washington Post recently cited over two dozen former and current security officials from the US, Europe, and Ukraine who all wished to remain anonymous but are dissatisfied with the approach by Ukrainian intelligence. Some of these officials expressed discomfort with targeted assassinations of Russian citizens, alleged collaborators with the Russian government, and government officials on Russian territory and occupied Ukrainian territory.
Ukraine’s director of intelligence, Vasyl Malyuk, claims in a statement that “all targets hit” were “completely legal.”
Officials from the US and Ukraine said a unified effort was made to keep a distance between operatives from the US and the assassination plans conducted by Ukraine intelligence. One former US official said a lot of operational “restrictions” were established “about working with Ukrainians.” Another official said the CIA responded that they didn’t “want any part” of any such operations when they were aware in advance.
The CIA initially joined forces with Ukrainian intelligence in order to establish a stronger alliance between the two nations to counter Russia. Advanced surveillance technologies, recruit training, and expanded sharing of intelligence were provided to Ukraine after 2014, and the anonymous officials told the Post that the CIA still maintains a large presence in Ukrainian intelligence circles.
Some of the operations carried out by Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022 include the killing of a pro-war political pundit in Russia, attacking a submarine, and blowing up an important bridge. Some of the operations were militarily justified, while others are questionable, as officials in both Kyiv and Washington raise concerns about killing non-combatants.
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