The head of Ukrainian intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, became famous for his successful operations behind enemy lines, which caused constant interest from the American special services. His successful landing in Crimea represented only one of the many missions carried out by this highly skilled operative.
According to The New York Times, in 2016, American intelligence services began training an "elite Ukrainian unit" with the code name 2245. This unit carried out tasks aimed at capturing Russian drones and means of communication so that American analysts could decipher their information.
These training events gave impetus to the development of a new generation of Ukrainian intelligence officers, who effectively operated in various parts of the world, where there was a large presence of Russian forces. Kyrylo Budanov was probably among them.
The New York Times' research was based on interviews with numerous current and former officials from Ukraine, the United States and Europe.
Kyrylo Budanov himself, being the star of the unit, was famous for impressive operations behind enemy lines and probably had close ties with the CIA.
American intelligence services continued to train him, even after he was wounded during a mission in Donbas and required rehabilitation at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland.
Recently, The New York Times journalists told about an exciting operation during which Kyrylo Budanov, together with other fighters of the unit, landed in Crimea, hiding under Russian uniforms. After the incident with the Russian special forces, the Ukrainian military was able to repel the attack, killing several militants, including the general's son, and retreat safely.
This event caused serious tension in the relations between Ukraine and Russia, leading to the unfolding of the crisis, which the American side tried to mitigate through diplomatic contacts between the presidents of the two countries.
