Ukrainian espionage operations reach beyond Russian-occupied territory and deep into Russia itself. A significant proportion of Ukrainian civilians fled regions now under Russian control. However, many of those who remained have established links with the Ukrainian intelligence services and provide a crucial intelligence picture of Russian activity behind the frontline. Ukrainian intelligence has also established ties with partisan groups inside Russia. Russian partisans have executed sabotage operations orchestrated by Ukrainian intelligence, destroying key infrastructure beyond the range of Ukrainian munitions. On a global scale, Ukraine has actively encouraged vigilante hackers to conduct surveillance on Russian forces and engage in the theft and destruction of classified documents. By and large, Ukrainian espionage is extensive and has an impressive international reach.
Key Judgement 1. The SBU has likely cultivated a network of Russian and Belarusian nationals to execute sabotage missions inside Russia.
Key Judgement 2. Ukrainian espionage as cyber operations are likely collecting key strategic intelligence on Russia’s force disposition.
Key Judgement 3. It is highly likely Ukraine is coordinating long-range precision strikes by corroborating intelligence from Ukrainian partisan networks.
