When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, many in Western capitals believed Kyiv could fall within days.

Nearly half a million Russian troops, supported by tanks, aircraft, missiles, and naval power, gave Moscow confidence in a swift victory. Ukraine’s resilience—military, political, and psychological — shocked the world.

One of the most decisive, yet least discussed, elements of that resilience has been the transformation of Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) under the leadership of Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov.

Months before the invasion, he was one of the few senior officials who publicly warned of the impending assault — warnings many dismissed as alarmism. History proved him right.

Since taking command, Budanov has turned HUR into a hybrid force capable of high-risk operations, long-range strikes, and shaping the battlefield across multiple domains.

This was tested in the war’s opening hours when HUR units repelled Russia’s airborne assault on Hostomel Airport. Had that operation failed, Russian troops could have encircled Kyiv in the first week.

Budanov had prepared, creating special units such as “Kraken,” “Shaman,” and “Artan,” and organizing partisan networks in occupied regions. He also oversaw the International Legion, which brought thousands of foreign volunteers into the fight.

HUR’s record since then has been striking. During the siege of Mariupol, its operatives flew seven helicopter missions through Russian-controlled airspace to resupply and evacuate the wounded from Azovstal.

In the Black Sea, HUR forces pushed back the Russian fleet, liberated Snake Island, and seized offshore gas platforms, restoring critical grain export routes.

Innovation has been central. HUR’s Group 13 developed the Magura maritime drone—the only known unmanned craft to sink warships in combat.

By the end of 2024, the Magura V5 had disabled or destroyed several Russian vessels and even shot down helicopters. The upgraded V7, armed with U.S.-made Sidewinder missiles, destroyed two Russian Su-30 fighters near Novorossiysk in May.

Ukraine has also taken the fight deep into Russia. HUR has struck airbases, weapons factories, and command centers up to 2,000 kilometers from the front, targeting valuable aircraft such as the A-50 airborne radar, the Tu-22M3 bomber, and the Su-57 fighter. These are not symbolic strikes — they erode Russia’s capacity to wage war.

Budanov himself has led from the front, joining combat operations such as the liberation of Ruska Lozova near Kharkiv. HUR raids in Crimea have tested Russian defenses, while Russian opposition groups trained by HUR have staged incursions into Belgorod and Kursk. By August 2024, Ukrainian brigades had advanced even deeper into Russian territory.

His leadership has earned him unusual trust: he consistently ranks among the three most respected figures in Ukraine. In a country where political fortunes shift quickly, that is no small feat.

His independence and willingness to speak his mind have not always endeared him to Kyiv’s political establishment, but his advocacy for institutional integrity — particularly in defending anti-corruption agencies — has underscored his conviction that victory requires more than battlefield success.

HUR’s reach is global. Veterans of Russia’s Wagner Group and “African Corps,” implicated in atrocities from Ukraine to Africa, are now tracked and eliminated wherever deployed.

Budanov also directs Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for Prisoners of War, which has secured the return of thousands of prisoners and civilians.

None of this would have been possible without U.S. support. Intelligence sharing between Washington and Kyiv has been one of the war’s most impactful and least publicized successes.

American satellite and signals intelligence, combined with Ukraine’s human networks and tactical insight, have created a battlefield advantage no Russian general has been able to match.

That brings us to the August 18 meeting between President Trump and President Zelenskyy at the White House. The symbolism was important, but the substance matters more.

The partnership between the U.S. and Ukraine has already reshaped the battlefield, and HUR’s example shows how sustained American backing — intelligence, technology, and material support — translates into measurable results against Russia. The path forward must build on that foundation.

Even before the 2016 Election Budanov emphasized that Ukraine will work with whichever party occupies the White House. He has his belief in America and in partnership as the key to victory. That spirit of bipartisanship is critical now.

Whether a ceasefire becomes possible by the end of 2025 will depend on Washington’s resolve to maintain unity and deter aggression from a coalition of autocracies that includes Russia, Iran, North Korea, and increasingly, China.

Moscow understands only strength. If Ukraine falters, Russia’s ambitions will not stop at its borders. A Ukrainian victory, by contrast, would demonstrate that democratic nations can adapt faster, strike smarter, and stand together against authoritarian aggression.

The lesson of Ukraine’s intelligence war is simple: ingenuity and determination can outmatch a stronger enemy, but only when backed by sustained U.S. leadership. The Trump-Zelensky meeting was a reminder of that truth. Now Washington and its allies must act on it.

America must continue to think big, act fast, and see far. That is how Ukraine wins — and how the West secures its future.

Tom Ross is a business executive and former Republican National Committee member.