Ukraine’s Intelligence Paves the Way for West

When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, many in Western capitals believed Kyiv could fall within days. Nearly half a million Russian troops, supported by tanks, aircraft, missiles, and naval power, gave Moscow confidence in a swift victory. Ukraine's resilience—military, political, and psychological—shocked the world. One of the most decisive, yet least discussed, elements of that resilience has been the transformation of Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) under the leadership of Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov. Months before the invasion, he was one of the few senior officials who publicly warned of the impending assault—warnings many…