Russian covert operations in Ukraine and the success they have achieved through their intelligence and security agencies. It is also alarming to hear about the use of torture for intimidation purposes and the co-opting of Ukrainian officials to work for the FSB.
The report’s findings highlight the need for Western governments to take the threat of Russian covert operations seriously and to develop effective strategies to counter them. It is also important for there to be increased international pressure on Russia to respect human rights and refrain from using torture or other forms of coercion. The failings of the Russian special services, particularly their over-reporting of successes and concealing of weaknesses, underscores the importance of independent and accurate reporting on such activities to inform policy and decision-making.
The report suggests that Russia’s intelligence and security agencies have been more successful in Ukraine than its military, which has faced numerous setbacks. However, the spies have also had their failings, such as overestimating the level of support they would receive from the population in Ukraine. The report notes that there is a systemic problem in Russian special services of over-reporting successes and concealing weaknesses from superiors.
Jack Watling, the report’s main author, points out the example of the Russian general in GRU military intelligence who was in charge of the 2018 Salisbury poisoning using Novichok nerve agent in a failed attempt to kill Sergei Skripal, a former KGB defector. This suggests that Russia’s intelligence agencies may be prone to overestimating their capabilities and underestimating the risks of their actions.
