Ukraine: How Western Intelligence Services Are Winning the Information War Against Russia

Created: 04/01/2022, 19:59

By: Vincent Bussow

Vladimir Putin is not fighting the Ukraine war all alone.

© Mikhail Klimentyev/dpa

In the fight for information sovereignty in the Ukraine war, the West relies on secret services and uses unusual methods.

The tactic seems to be working.

Washington DC – The Ukraine war*, which Vladimir Putin* started on February 24 with the invasion of the neighboring country, is also a war of information.

In addition to Russian propaganda, which many in Germany also believe*, the West also spreads its own narratives that serve its own agenda.

It is handling intelligence in a way that has never been seen before, an expert in the field told CNN.

Even before Putin allowed the Ukraine conflict* to escalate into war, Western regimes began to adopt a new approach to classified information.

The USA* announced the invasion shortly before it actually began, while many experts and nations still had doubts about a riot.

Since then, the West has regularly disseminated intelligence information about the lack of structure in Russia* in the Ukraine war and Putin's isolation in the Kremlin.

In an interview with CNN, a former US secret service agent explains what's behind it.

Information in the Ukraine war: US methods make former secret service employees nervous

In fact, it's ingrained in intelligence officials to protect sources and methods, says Steve Hall, former head of the CIA's Russia operations.

Although the United States has not gone so far as to publish such information during the Ukraine war, Hall admits to CNN that the current handling of information makes him nervous.

Nevertheless, he sees the purpose behind it: "It's an interesting political decision to say that it might be worth showing the Russians how good we are at collecting these things."

At least in the West, the narrative of the defeated army from Russia dominates, as shown, among other things, by the latest reports of bugged Russian soldiers*, which were distributed by the secret service of Ukraine*: "Our whole brigade is ready," says a soldier on the phone to his Woman.

"We have lost a lot, even more are wounded." When asked by his wife why that was, the Russian soldier is said to have said completely bluntly: "Our whole army consists of stupid idiots." (vbu)