When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, it expected to celebrate victory in Kiev within weeks. But Ukraine has not only fought back on its own battlefields, it has also taken the fight against Russia to the rest of the world.
The front lines of the Russia-Ukraine war have now spread to Africa and the Middle East, with Ukrainian special forces pursuing Russian troops in an effort to weaken Moscow’s economic resources and influence.
According to leaked classified U.S. documents, Ukrainian military intelligence had previously The Plan Devised They plan to covertly attack Russian forces in Syria with Kurdish support in early 2023. The purpose of targeting Russian forces in Syria was to potentially pressure Russia to divert military assets from Ukraine to strengthen Syria’s defenses. Ukrainian officers considered training Syrian Democratic Forces operatives to attack Russian targets. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles attack.
Leading the Ukrainian offensive to fight Russia wherever they are is a major general in the Ukrainian Army. Kirillo BudanovBudanov, head of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Service, himself carries out covert attack missions. Russia Budanov was involved in the murder of a lieutenant general from Russia’s FSB security service in occupied Crimea since 2014. Budanov’s agency is separate from Ukraine’s domestic intelligence services, similar to the way the FBI and CIA are separate in the United States, but both Ukrainian intelligence services are involved in numerous cases. Drone Attack Within Russia.
The Ukrainian Defense Intelligence Service Tie your tie The CIA helped develop the secret Ukrainian intelligence service after Russia’s initial invasion in 2014. Since its establishment, it has had the mandate to collect intelligence outside Ukraine. The New York TimesBudanov’s first unit was known for daring missions behind enemy lines, and he himself was trained by the CIA.
Budanov announced his intention to take the fight to Russia in March 2024, and acknowledged reports that Ukraine is fighting Russian mercenaries in Africa. “We are conducting such operations wherever possible, aimed at degrading Russia’s military potential,” Budanov said. He told The Washington Post“Why would Africa be an exception?”
In Africa, Russia worked with Sudan’s military leadership to misappropriate billions of dollars, depriving the Sudanese people of significant state revenue. To help Russia evade Western sanctionsIn 2021, Russia backed a military coup that ousted Sudan’s transitional civilian government and undermined a pro-democracy movement that successfully removed longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir. According to a former U.S. official, Russia Exploited They supported the coup to strip Sudan of its resources and ensure continued access to these valuable assets.
August 2023, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba He launched a diplomatic counterattack and promised to “liberate Africa from Russian domination.” Meanwhile, by August 2023, Ukrainian military intelligence unit Timur was conducting a military operation to pursue the Russian invaders. Russian mercenaries In Sudan.
CNNreportUkrainian special forces helped launch drone attacks against Russian-backed forces in Sudan in September 2023.Sergey SkankinA senior fellow at the Jamestown Foundation believes there must have been an agreement between Ukraine and its Western allies to provide military assistance to Russia if Ukraine attacks Russian forces in Africa.
In addition to combat activities, The Wall Street Journal report Ukrainian forces are reportedly teaching Sudanese government forces tactics that have proven effective against Russian forces in Ukraine, including the use of first-person drones to target Russian positions, making the Sudanese army more effective in combat, which a British intelligence officer who has worked with Ukrainian intelligence has likened to Israel’s Mossad. state “They really will do anything when they go after a target.”
Ukraine’s involvement in Sudan achieves several important goals. First, by directing the Sudanese military and attacking the Russian Wagner mercenaries, Ukraine deals a blow to Russian influence in the region and demonstrates that Russian forces are vulnerable in Africa as well. Carnegie Endowment for International PeaceUkraine drone attack Moscow It has also affected people’s perceptions in war-torn Afghanistan, with “many now seeing Russia as a dangerous place where drones regularly attack the capital.”
Second, it could divert Russian resources away from Ukraine and force a Russian military buildup in Africa. Africa Corps) and with Russian influence in Africa declining, Ukraine has targeted Russia’s exploitation of Sudan’s resources and efforts to evade Western sanctions.
In the trenches of Ukraine, special forces find that their expertise and capabilities are not fully utilized in traditional stand-up combat. However, these forces excel at conducting unique harassment and raids in remote locations such as Sudan, where their training and expertise are put to good use.
Kyiv Post by March 2024 report Ukrainian military intelligence, in coordination with Syrian rebel forces, launched attacks against Russian mercenaries in Syria. These operations targeted Russian forces near the Golan Heights, occupied by Israeli forces since 1967. Ukrainian attacks were focused on “enemy checkpoints, fortifications, foot patrols, military convoys and other targets” in Syria.
Since the beginning of 2024, Russia has already announced more than 10 Observation point Iranian militias are active along the border between Syria and the Golan Heights, frequently Israeli airstrikesMaurizio Molinari Russia Russia is gathering intelligence on weapons Israel is using in Syria that are similar to Western weapons being supplied to Ukraine, and as a result, a Ukrainian attack could disrupt Russian intelligence efforts and impede Ukraine’s ability to analyze and adapt to these weapons.
Ukraine has the capacity to become militarily involved in places where Western powers might hesitate, such as Sudan or southern Syria, and the rewards for Western countries’ small investments in Ukraine could be substantial.
Western countries would be wise to provide Ukraine with further resources, including intelligence, to support its efforts to attack Russia if necessary.
David KirichenkoAssociate Researcher The Henry Jackson Society.
