Graduates of CIA-trained Ukrainian Paramilitaries as a Stronghold Against Possible Russian Invasion

According to five former intelligence and national security officials familiar with the initiative, the CIA has been operating a secret program in the Ukraine and the southern United States. Aimed at training Ukrainian special forces and paramilitaries, the program is focused on brushing up Ukrainian personnel with the latest tactics and operational techniques. This assistance follows a longstanding history of the United States providing Security Force Assistance and unconventional warfare training to minor opponents of its geopolitical adversaries. News of this program has broken amidst a massive buildup of Russian forces along its border with Ukraine, and while Russia began so-called “security discussions” in Geneva earlier last week, it has yet to establish a diplomatic solution for their grievances. Ukrainians meanwhile have feared a Russian invasion for many years now, but Ukraine's trained paramilitaries, who are said to be taught to "kill Russians," could soon play a major role if things happen unexpectedly within its territories. (Presstv, 2022).

A former senior intel official has stated that the covert program was instituted by the Ground Department of the CIA during the Obama administration. Under the Trump and Biden administrations, the program has been further amplified (Yahoo, 2022). A former intelligence officer stated: "These men have been training with us for eight years, and they're incredibly good fighters." This represents a serious expansion of capability for the Ukrainian Army and continues the widespread modernization and westernization of their military since the start of the Donbass conflict in 2014. Available reports state the CIA training program has included training in firearms, camouflage techniques, intelligence gathering and other areas. The program involved "very specific training on skills that would enhance" the Ukrainians’ "ability to push back against the Russians," (Presstv, 2022)

Despite Russian criticism, officials from the United States, have stated that the CIA training program is in no way a provocation or de-stabilizes the region in any way. "Suggestions that we have trained an armed rebellion in Ukraine are simply incorrect," a CIA spokesman, Tammy Thorp, stated. The claim comes as tensions on the Russian-Ukrainian border have risen, with the US, Ukraine, and several other Western countries stating that Russia is “poised to invade”. Russia denies these accusations and argues that the deployments are defensive in nature. However, this is highly unlikely due to the sudden large-scale mobilization of reservists and shifting of troops to areas in the Western Military District which border Ukraine.

The CIA has previously offered limited training to Ukrainian intelligence agencies decades ago to build a Kyiv free of Russian influence, as well as to limit potential Russian infiltration. However, collaboration "accelerated" after the Annexation of Crimea. Though there is much speculation within the intelligence community, the CIA is confident about the extensive training they have been providing Ukraine. This could be a blow for blow to both parties because the agency ultimately upholds its core philosophy that the programs have been balanced and are really valuable.

For more than a week, the purported Russian troop buildup along the Ukrainian border, which is considered to be the first stage of an invasion, has heightened tensions. Moscow, on the other hand, rejected the allegations, claiming that the decision was solely for national security reasons. The odds aren't in Ukraine's favor, but one thing is certain: the country is overcoming Russia's resistance.

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Kristian Rivera is currently pursuing his undergraduate studies in the Philippines with a concentration in political science. He is a junior research intern at the Institute for Asian Crime and Security in New York. He is also a former counterterrorism officer at the American Counterterrorism Targeting & Resilience Institute in Washington. In The Commandant, he will write about defense, counterterrorism and intelligence operations.

Sources:

A. (2022, January 14). CIA oversees training program for Ukrainian paramilitaries: Reports. ANI News. https://www.aninews.in/news/world/us/cia-oversees-training-program-for-ukrainian-paramilitaries-reports20220114212706/

Presstv. (2022, January 14). CIA secretly training Ukrainian forces to ‘push back against Russians’: Report. https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/01/14/674742/CIA-undercover-training-program-Ukrainian-forces-Russia

Yahoo. (2022, January 14). CIA-trained Ukrainian paramilitaries may take central role if Russia invades. Https://Au.News.Yahoo.Com/Cia-Trained-Ukrainian-Paramilitaries-May-Take-Central-Role-If-Russia-Invades-