Preliminary Lessons from Russia’s Unconventional Operations During the Russo-Ukrainian War

In a new report on Russia’s unconventional operations during the invasion of Ukraine released Wednesday by Britain’s Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), the authors found that at “a fundamental level the Russian special services lack self-awareness, or at least the honesty to report accurately about their own efforts." "[T]here appears to be a systemic problem of overreporting one’s successes and concealing weaknesses to superiors,” analysts Jack Watling, Oleksandr V. Danylyuk and Nick Reynolds note, describing how Russian spies had told their superiors that an agent network they had set up in Ukraine would proactively support Moscow if Russia invaded.

Moscow has looked to place senior agents in Ukraine to head up their own networks, rather than handling operations from Russia. Although some of those working on the Kremlin's behalf have been identified, many, and their operations, have not yet been exposed, the report's authors warned. "A significant part of Russia's agents both in Ukraine and in other countries continue to actively operate," they wrote.

“We would often notify China of potential breaches of the sanctions regime unfolding in their jurisdiction, including things like ship-to-ship transfers,” says Aaron Arnold, a counter-proliferation expert and associate fellow at RUSI who has also served on the UN panel. “It was common not to receive a response.”

In a new report on Russia’s unconventional operations during the invasion of Ukraine released Wednesday by Britain’s Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), the authors found that at “a fundamental level the Russian special services lack self-awareness, or at least the honesty to report accurately about their own efforts." "[T]here appears to be a systemic problem of overreporting one’s successes and concealing weaknesses to superiors,” analysts Jack Watling, Oleksandr V. Danylyuk and Nick Reynolds note, describing how Russian spies had told their superiors that an agent network they had set up in Ukraine would proactively support Moscow if Russia invaded.

Moscow has looked to place senior agents in Ukraine to head up their own networks, rather than handling operations from Russia. Although some of those working on the Kremlin's behalf have been identified, many, and their operations, have not yet been exposed, the report's authors warned. "A significant part of Russia's agents both in Ukraine and in other countries continue to actively operate," they wrote.