Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine, Budanov, was one of the officers of the ‘elite Ukrainian commando unit’ that was trained by the CIA – NYT

Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, was one of the officers of the “elite Ukrainian commando unit” known as “Squad 2245,” which began training CIA operatives around 2016.

This information reported by The New York Times.

It is reported that this unit captured Russian drones and communication equipment so that CIA technicians could reconfigure them and hack Moscow’s encryption systems.

The publication states that Budanov “was a rising star” in the unit, known for “bold operations behind enemy lines and deep ties with the CIA.” The agency trained him and sent him for rehabilitation to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland after he was wounded in the right hand during combat in Donbas.

“Dressed in Russian uniforms, then still a lieutenant colonel Budanov ferried commandos across a narrow strait on inflatable boats, landing in Crimea at night,” writes NYT. However, this operation was not coordinated with the United States and sparked sharp criticism from Washington, the publication notes.

Recall that The New York Times recently published a major article on the CIA’s work in Ukraine. According to it, American intelligence agencies began to increase their presence in Ukraine immediately after the victory of the Maidan in 2014. Earlier, The Washington Post wrote about how the CIA trained the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) to act against Russia for ten years.