Skripal hit squad unit takes over Ukraine intelligence operations

THE “brutal” Russian military spy unit that attempted to assassinate Sergei Skripal in Salisbury in 2018 has been handed command of Russia’s intelligence operations in Ukraine.

The GRU is taking over from the FSB, the intelligence service Vladimir Putin blamed for failings that contributed to his army’s retreat from Kyiv.

It came as US officials suggested Russian officers in Ukraine were refusing to obey their superiors.

A senior US defence official said officers as high as battalion commanders were not obeying orders.

Other officers in Donbas were not functioning with the “alacrity” that might be expected, the official added.

Analysts have said that, with US help, Ukraine has had access to far better intelligence than Russia.

Several Russian generals have been killed in the war and other high-value targets, such as the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea fleet, have been destroyed.

The GRU’S appointment in Ukraine should improve the Russian army’s performance, an spy expert said.