ABC News reports (https://abcnews.go.com/International/cia-helped-rebuild-ukraine-intelligence-russia-invasion/story?id=116909361) on how, since 2014, the CIA and Ukraine's intelligence services have been "secretly building close partnerships."

Specifically, the article mentions that in 2015, the head of Ukraine's military intelligence, Valeriy Kondratyuk, brought a "package of top-secret Russian military documents" to the United States. This was revealed to the channel by an American official.

This was a "gift" from Kondratyuk to gain the trust of the Americans.

As in a similar New York Times article, the material states that the U.S. helped organize the work of Ukraine's Defense Intelligence (GUR).

"The CIA directed millions of dollars toward training and equipping Ukrainian intelligence officers, as well as building facilities, including about a dozen secret forward operating bases near the Russian border," the channel reports. The U.S. also trained Ukrainian special forces.

This "saved American taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, perhaps even billions."

The article also discusses Operation "Golden Fish," during which the CIA trained Ukrainian agents to "pass as Russians" in Russia and in third countries. 

They carried out joint operations with the CIA.

At the same time, the article acknowledges that a raid on Crimea, conducted by a U.S.-trained special forces unit, failed.

"In 2016, without informing the Americans, Kondratyuk (then head of GUR) sent a U.S.-trained unit, 2245, on a mission to Crimea to plant explosives at a Russian helicopter base. The mission went awry, leading to a firefight with Russian special forces, reportedly resulting in several deaths," the article states.

Afterward, "U.S. anger led to Kondratyuk's removal as head of GUR."

Following the start of the SMO, Biden lifted several restrictions on CIA operations in Ukraine: 

"CIA officers were allowed to remain in Ukraine during Russia’s attack. They were still prohibited from directly killing Russians but were authorized to assist Ukraine with targeting intelligence."

The article also shares opinions that such close cooperation may have provoked Putin into attacking: "Some argue that the CIA's partnership with Ukrainian intelligence was a provocation for Putin, giving him a pretext for war." However, former GUR head Kondratyuk dismisses such claims as "Russian propaganda." 

https://abcnews.go.com/International/cia-helped-rebuild-ukraine-intelligence-russia-invasion/story?id=116909361 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6klCeHyXM0&ab_channel=ABCNews Description, @DD Geopolitics