Author: Robert Brestan, HlidaciPes.org
The speeches of representatives of the Ukrainian secret services on the floor of the Czech Chamber of Deputies were held under a special regime: accompanied by police security, with the stream of the otherwise public conference on Russian subversion operations turned off, with the TV camera banned from the room, with no photographs allowed and without mentioning any names.
While their faces and names must remain private due to the risks associated with war against Russia, what the three close-cropped men in suits – from Ukraine’s Security Service and military intelligence – talked about may be made public.
Unsurprisingly, they have unanimously portrayed contemporary Russia as a threat to the entire democratic world, with over a thousand days of war clearly showing what the Kremlin’s intentions and goals are: “We have gained unique experience on how to fight Russia and its intelligence services. If Russia succeeds in the war, the question will not be if but when it will continue its campaign.”
Dismantle the anti-Putin coalition
Ukraine’s secret services underwent significant changes after the annexation of Crimea in 2014: ‘We knew who the fifth column was, we cleared our ranks, and as a result, the Russian secret services totally failed in their assumptions about how the intended blitzkrieg would take place,’ the SBU representative described.
Russia, he said, has long exploited what it sees as the weakness of democracy to spread disinformation and destructive influence on society: “They have played at being a fraternal nation, at pluralism of ideas, but they have quickly morphed into a cog that wants to destroy Ukraine as a state.”
In the occupied territories, he said, Russia is only playing at democratic processes and is actually committing crimes. “We are documenting these crimes, exposing traitors and collaborators, preventing terrorist acts,” he summarized for the SBU, adding that Russia can be defeated.
And it’s not just in Ukraine’s interest: ‘The Kremlin will not stop by destroying Ukraine. It wants to show the world that might makes right and that it will defeat the rule of law.”
According to the SBU, Putin is now betting that the war will be protracted, Western aid to Ukraine will be reduced, and the democratic world will cease to be united: “Russia believes that in the framework of peace negotiations it will consolidate its territorial gains and thus gain space to pursue its other goals.”
That is why the Kremlin is also working hard to divide the Western anti-Putin coalition: it is trying to influence elections and election campaigns in individual countries, it is supporting and initiating protests, it is abusing civil structures, Russian emigration and its membership in international organizations.
The fact that the situation in the countries west of Ukraine is evolving in connection with the war is illustrated by a recent survey conducted by NMS Market Research for Memory of the Nation: four-fifths of Czechs believe that the security situation in the Czech Republic has deteriorated due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, two-thirds fear an escalation of the conflict beyond the Ukrainian border, and more than fifty percent of citizens declare their unwillingness to defend their country in the event of an attack.
Waiting for Trump
Although representatives of the Ukrainian secret services expressed gratitude for the support their country is receiving and “for every bullet delivered”, they also found reasons for criticism. In particular, for the fact that the weapons attacking Ukraine still contain parts manufactured in European Union countries:
“The Russian attack will last until the resources and funding are there. Therefore, it is necessary to turn off the taps not only of money but also of technology. Some Western companies are lining their pockets on the deaths of Ukrainians: we still find Western parts in Russian missiles and drones.” The SBU representative summed up what the now-warring Ukraine needs as follows:
“Surprise strikes on Russian territory are working. We need accurate and long-range weapons to destroy airfields, weapons depots or launch sites. We need the technological means now – before Russia has fully transitioned to a war economy.”
The Kursk operation – an attack by Ukrainian troops on Russian territory – can only succeed if the Ukrainian army can attack deep inside Russian territory. This is exactly what has already happened: on Tuesday, 19 November, Ukraine used US ATACMS missiles for the first time to attack a target some 130 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. This was just a short time after outgoing US President Joe Biden gave the go-ahead to use these missiles (with a range of up to 300 kilometers) to attack targets in Russia as well.
The Ukrainian military intelligence representative present commented laconically: ‘We have only two months before the unpredictable new President Trump takes office. And we must take advantage of it.”
We want Kiev time
Military intelligence officials also described how Russia has adapted, how it works with psychological operations, and how traditional Cold War-era espionage has been supplemented by working with modern technology, cyber attacks, and ideological manipulation.
“The most powerful weapon is disinformation. Russian operatives work purposefully to spread it and undermine European cohesion. Social networks have long been a battlefield, not a communication tool.”
The third man, also from Ukrainian military intelligence, introduced himself as an expert on cyberattacks and hybrid threats and began by mentioning the position of former Czech President Milos Zeman: “In 2014 he questioned the status and sovereignty of Ukraine, I am glad that after 2022 he changed his position and acknowledged that Russia is evil.”
He also called for European countries, including the Czech Republic, to stop buying gas and oil from Russia. “Russia earns five billion dollars a year from gas sales alone. It gets billions more from oil. I do not blame anyone, but for us this is unacceptable.”
Russia must be isolated, he said. “When I was in the hotel lobby just now, there was a clock with the world time: New York, Sydney, Paris and Moscow. We should replace it with Kiev time.”
