Since the beginning of the undeclared Russian-Ukrainian war in early 2014, the secret services of both countries have been key players in the conflict, particularly due to its “hybrid” nature. Covert operations, sabotage and espionage naturally all increased significantly compared to the pre-war years.
Russian agents carried out numerous assassinations of Ukrainian officers, not only near the frontlines but also away from the combat zone – such as the car bomb killings, in 2017, of Col. Oleksandr Kharaberyush, a counter-intelligence officer of the Security Service of Ukraine (known by the Ukrainian-based acronym as SBU), in Mariupol (SBU.gov.ua, March 31, 2017), and Col. Maksym Shapoval, a commander of an elite special forces unit, in Kyiv (Radio Liberty, April 27, 2017). Moreover, in between these two murders, Ukrainian Internal Affairs Minister Arsen Avakov held a press briefing in response to an explosion at a military ammunition depot in Balakliya, declaring that it was a terrorist attack, planned and executed by Russia (Espreso TV, April 2, 2017).