Douglas London on CIA/Ukraine cooperation
34-year CIA veteran talks to us on #RockRachon about this longstanding process.
Douglas London worked for the CIA's Clandestine Service for 34 years and received awards. He was Chief of Station and the President's senior intelligence representative, operating in the Middle East, Africa, and South and Central Asia. We talked to him about the latest NY Times piece about the cooperation between CIA and Ukraine secret services. We talked to him about the latest NY Times text.
Establishing a Foundation for Intelligence Collaboration
For over a decade, a clandestine intelligence partnership between the United States and Ukraine has been crucial for both nations in countering Russian aggression. This collaboration saw the construction of a CIA-supported network of spy bases along the Russian border, involving 12 secret locations established over eight years. Key milestones in this partnership included the 2016 training of Unit 2245, an elite Ukrainian commando force tasked with capturing Russian drones and communications gear for reverse-engineering and encryption cracking. This period also marked the training of a new generation of Ukrainian spies for operations within Russia, Europe, and beyond.
Deepening Ties in the Face of Invasion
The relationship deepened significantly in response to the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, with CIA officers providing essential intelligence on Russian military strategies and target identifications. This support was instrumental in Ukrainian defense efforts and strategic operations against Russian forces.
Overcoming Challenges Through Strategic Purges
The collaboration's foundation can be traced back to the night of February 24, 2014, coinciding with the overthrow of Ukraine's pro-Kremlin government. The new Ukrainian government's intelligence leadership faced a daunting task: rebuilding an agency compromised by Russian influence and riddled with Russian spies. The CIA's involvement was contingent on Ukraine's ability to purge these Russian elements and provide valuable intelligence to the United States.
Expanding Intelligence Operations Amidst Distrust
This intelligence partnership nearly collapsed due to mutual distrust but eventually expanded, transforming Ukraine into a significant intelligence-gathering hub. This expansion was critical as Russia intensified its offensive, and Ukraine's reliance on sabotage and long-range missile strikes grew, necessitating spies deep within enemy lines.
The Role of the Fifth Directorate
A critical aspect of this partnership was the creation of the Fifth Directorate, a unit within Ukraine's intelligence apparatus composed of officers born after Ukraine's independence, thus having no ties to Russia or memories of the Soviet Union. This unit played a pivotal role in producing intelligence that implicated Russian-backed separatists in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in 2014, leading to the CIA's provision of secure communications gear and specialized training.
Sustaining a Strategic Intelligence Alliance
The partnership's success in intelligence gathering and operational collaboration, despite the significant challenges posed by decades of Russian dominance and initial distrust, underscored the strategic importance of the CIA's engagement in Ukraine and its contribution to regional and global security dynamics.
Here’s out previous note on the same text:
