Russia claims to have destroyed several Himars missile launchers in recent weeks, including two on Monday. However, Ukraine and Western sources say none have been damaged by Russia.

Other Himarias reach Ukraine

Four more Himars systems arrived in Ukraine on Monday, bringing the total in operation to 16. General Skimicki said: “Cooperation with Poland is also very high as almost 90 percent of all military aid comes from there. We are talking about very close cooperation and joint ventures with our partners.” In the weeks leading up to the February 24 invasion, Russian “subversive elements” were joined by “reconnaissance teams” to gather information about Ukrainian military intentions, troop locations and logistical sites, General Skimitsky said. As a result, the first weeks of the war were “very difficult”. “We’ve had to track them down, track them down and neutralize them, but we haven’t gotten rid of them all. “These days, collecting data on military aid coming to Ukraine from Western partners is the number one goal for Russian agents. “We don’t know how many there are [but] they use all kinds of intelligence: airborne, space, partners from the Ukrainian side. Russia has [a lot of] information. “People’s traffic is intense. There is a whole mechanism designed to acquire and neutralize these people.” Ukraine, a country as large as France with 2,300 kilometers of front line, requires enormous resources to find these spies passing through and beyond its territory. “It is not only the special forces, but also the police and ordinary Ukrainians who report strangers in their area. Everyone is working as one body, because it is about the existence of Ukraine,” General Skibitsky said. Kyiv has set up hotlines in some Russian-controlled areas – such as Enerhodar, site of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant – for locals to relay information about “collaborators and occupiers”. Asked how US-supplied Himars multiple-launch missile systems have so accurately targeted Russian fuel and ammunition depots, as well as battlefield headquarters in eastern Ukraine, General Skibitsky said “in this case in particular, we are using information in real time”. US officials are not providing direct targeting information, which would potentially undermine their case that they are not a direct participant in the war, General Skimicki said. But he suggested there was a level of consultation between intelligence officials of both countries before the missiles were fired that would have allowed Washington to stop any potential attacks if they were not satisfied with the intended target. “I can’t tell you if [we are directly tasking] British and American satellites, but we have very good satellite imagery,” he told the Telegraph. “We have very good cooperation with our partners in the UK in this area. We have very good communication with all our sister intelligence agencies.”

In close collaboration with the British Foreign Office

Ukraine’s military intelligence service is known to work closely with colleagues in Britain’s Ministry of Defence. General Skimicki said he was pleased that General Jim Hockenhull, Britain’s former chief of defense intelligence, had been promoted to head the UK’s Strategic Command, responsible for military intelligence, special forces and space capabilities. Increasing Ukraine’s “agent capabilities” inside Moscow has been a priority for General Skimitsky’s department since Russia’s 2014 invasion. “Human intelligence is one of the cornerstones of our business. And this is because in 2015 an ambitious task was set [for] to enter the decision-making centers of our adversaries. “For us it is very easy to work with our opponent – ​​you know the country we are talking about. We shared the same language, the same appearance as humans and, until recently, the same mentality. We were once a country. Many Ukrainians lived or still live in Russia… and have built very good government careers there. There are many Ukrainians in decision-making positions in Russia. “Obviously this is a cover-up activity as there is a very strong counterintelligence effort in Russia.”