“The Dirty War in Ukraine is Just Beginning” — this is how the famous American journalist David Ignatius titled his column in The Washington Post , commenting on the latest actions of Ukrainian special services.
According to him, in conditions when the policy of the Donald Trump administration (which is actively preparing for a new presidential term) is increasingly moving away from the role of a peacemaker, Ukraine remains extremely dependent on the effectiveness of its own intelligence structures. This includes, in particular, the Security Service of Ukraine and the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, which, according to the columnist, have entered a new stage - waging a "dirty war.".
A key example, Ignatius cites the SBU operation called "Web," which resulted in a strike on Russia's strategic aviation. The journalist emphasizes that the special service managed to avoid information leaks - even the deputy head of the SBU was not aware of the details. It is only known that the head of the SBU, Vasyl Malyuk, directly informed President Zelensky, but bypassed other high-ranking officials.
“The covert operations of the SBU and the GUR increasingly resemble the actions of the CIA and FBI during the times of fierce interdepartmental rivalry,” the journalist writes. In his opinion, the front is now not limited to the trench line — it extends far beyond the borders of Ukraine.
In particular, Ignatius predicts that new forms of attack should be expected in the near future — including targeted assassinations, sabotage, and strikes on infrastructure and facilities in third countries that in one way or another support the Russian military efforts.
He emphasizes: “The front line in Ukraine will remain an inferno filled with drones and artillery. But the war is changing: the shadowy actions of the special services can radically change its course.”
According to Ignatius, the new strategy of the SBU and the GUR is a response to the stalemate at the front. Instead of a frontal offensive, there are sophisticated operations that can demoralize the enemy, undermine trust within Russian military structures, and force Moscow to waste resources on internal security.
The Washington Post once again emphasizes that Ukraine is currently acting more independently, without informing partners about all its plans, and this is becoming a new reality of war, which can no longer be limited to the framework of a "pure" military confrontation.
