Americas

Pentagon Proposes Resuming Covert Ukrainian Intelligence Programs, Media Reports

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The US Department of Defense is preparing a proposal for Congress to resume funding covert programs that allow US Special Operation troops to employ Ukrainian intelligence operatives to observe Russian military movements and fight disinformation, media reported on Friday, citing current and former officials.
Sputnik
If approved, the programs, which were suspended ahead of Russia's military operation last year, could resume as soon as next year. With Republicans divided over the amount of US aid to Ukraine, it is hard to say whether they would be approved, according to the newspaper. The programs cost about $15 million annually worldwide.
It is also unclear whether the US troops would oversee the operatives in Ukraine or from a third country.
For many years, US commandos have employed military and paramilitary units in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa in counter-terrorism operations. However the surrogate programs in Ukraine are used against countries that the US is not in open conflict with, the report noted.
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