As Russian missiles and drones continue to pound Ukrainian cities as the war continues into its fourth year, Maj.-Gen. Vadym Skibitsky, the deputy chief of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, has little time for ceremony. He’s seen too much, heard too many lies, and watched too many civilians die to mince words.
“Russia lies, Russia kills, Russia never fulfills the treaties it signs,” he told The Jerusalem Post. “And one more thing – Russia only understands the language of force.”
From his office in Kyiv, Skibitsky’s message is both stark and urgent. Ukraine, he said, is not just defending its own territory but is a forward line in a global battle against a growing axis of authoritarian regimes. Russia’s war against Ukraine, he argued, is not a regional conflict. It is the collapse of a global order.
“We see that Russia has effectively destroyed the world order that existed after World War II,” Skibitsky explained. “This is the largest war in Europe since then, and Moscow started it, and has no intention of ending it.”
The war in Ukraine is being fought on more than one front. There is the visible front – the scorched cities, the tank advances, the drone strikes – but also an invisible one: a war of intelligence, adaptation, and survival. Skibitsky has been at the heart of that second battle.
One of Ukraine’s key challenges has been countering Russia’s use of evolving missile and drone technology.
“Ballistic missiles are difficult to shoot down,” he admitted, citing the attack on Kryvyi Rih last week, which killed 20 civilians to date, including nine children. “Russia committed yet another war crime by using a ballistic missile with cluster munitions against a residential area – essentially targeting courtyards where children were playing.”
He described how Russia’s missiles are becoming harder to intercept, and its drones deadlier. “Shahed-type drones, which Russia received from Iran and now manufactures under the name ‘Geran,’ are being upgraded. They’re using jet engines and are experimenting with larger warheads – up to 90 kilograms. Even the internal structure is being changed.”
Skibitsky detailed how Russian engineers, building on Iranian blueprints, have relocated critical systems such as the flight controller, battery, and power distribution unit from the drone’s nose to the tail. This not only alters flight dynamics but also complicates interception efforts.
“These are no longer just Iranian drones,” he said. “They’re the product of joint technological advancement between two regimes. And they are evolving fast.”
In this cat-and-mouse arms race, Ukraine is adapting. “War accelerates development. Ukraine now has its own interceptor drones that can target the Shaheds at 5,000 meters altitude, reaching speeds of up to 200 kph,” he said. “These ‘Shahed killers’ have already proven effective in combat.”
Skibitsky credited the Ukrainian Air Force and electronic warfare units with most of the drone and missile interceptions. But he was quick to point out that this is a collective struggle.“Our experts document the foreign components in these weapons – components that Russia still gets despite sanctions,” he said. “There must be more pressure on those enabling Russia’s war crimes.”
For Ukraine’s top intelligence officials, Iran’s growing military-industrial collaboration with Russia is a deepening concern.
“Apart from supplying Shahed attack drones and the technology for their production on Russian soil, we have not observed greater Iranian involvement in combat operations,” Skibitsky clarified. “But that does not make Iran’s role any less dangerous.
“In January 2025, Russia and Iran signed a strategic partnership agreement that includes military cooperation, intelligence sharing, and logistical support,” he said. “Clearly, such interaction helps Russia wage war against Ukraine and also increases risks for the security situation in the Middle East and Africa.”
While speculation has circulated in Western media about Iran potentially supplying Russia with Fath-360 missiles – short-range ballistic systems capable of precision strikes – Skibitsky said Ukraine’s intelligence has not yet confirmed such transfers.
Still, the implications of Iran’s partnership with Moscow extend well beyond drone supply.“Tehran is not only helping Moscow scale up drone production – in return, Iran receives improved military technology and experience in modern technological warfare,” he told the Post. “This is a two-way exchange, and it’s accelerating.”
The result, he said, is a mutual upgrade: Iran gains real-world testing and refinement of its drone systems, while Russia continues to unleash barrages of Iranian-engineered terror across Ukrainian skies.
“This partnership isn’t just about Ukraine,” Skibitsky warned. “It’s about Iran’s future threat projection in the Middle East. Every strike against Ukraine with Iranian-designed weapons teaches Tehran something new about how to fight the next war, possibly against Israel or other regional states.”
The proliferation of Russian military partnerships adds a further layer of complexity.“Russia and North Korea are now working closely,” Skibitsky said. “The KN-23 missiles Pyongyang supplied were initially highly inaccurate, but after Russian specialists refined them, they became significantly more precise. That’s a threat not just to us but to the global community.
“We’ve long said that cooperation between criminal regimes in the military-industrial complex is a danger to all civilized nations,” he warned.
This network of malign collaboration – Russia, Iran, North Korea – poses not just a military threat but a political one.
“Moscow is increasing its footprint in Syria. It is destabilizing Africa through arms shipments and mercenaries. It continues to disrupt peace across multiple continents,” he said. “Russia is not just a threat to Ukraine or Europe. It is a threat to the entire world.”
Ukraine’s intelligence services have been transformed by war
“Our military intelligence has improved in every way – human, technical, and space intelligence,” Skibitsky said. The Ministry of Defense’s Main Intelligence Directorate has become one of the most dynamic and adaptive arms of the Ukrainian state.
“Our cooperation with the CIA and other partner agencies has been deep and mutually beneficial,” he said. “We thank the US for its support, but this is not one-sided. We share what we learn. Together, we are stronger.”
As for relations with Israeli intelligence, “Entirely professional,” he noted simply. It is a short but telling remark from a man who says little he doesn’t mean.
Asked about Donald Trump’s return to power and his pledge to “end the war,” Skibitsky was diplomatic but firm. “President Trump’s efforts to end the war deserve respect,” he said. “He understands how destructive this conflict is. His statements show he wants to stop the killings.”But, he added, diplomacy alone won’t stop Russia. “The real question is whether the Putin regime wants peace. Our long experience with Russia tells us: it lies, it kills, and it respects only force.
“There are no issues in our intelligence-sharing with the US under President Trump. None,” he clarified. “Our cooperation continues.”
Despite years of brutal fighting, Ukraine refuses to concede any territory.
“Territories occupied by Russia remain Ukrainian, both in international law and in the eyes of our people,” he said.
“All Russian military facilities – whether on our occupied land or inside Russia – are legitimate targets,” he declared. “We will never recognize the occupation. That is the will of our nation.”In the intelligence community, this means long-term planning. Skibitsky confirmed that Ukraine is preparing for every possible postwar scenario, including the defense and reintegration of liberated areas. “No matter how negotiations conclude, the fight for territorial integrity continues,” he said.
Despite the enemy’s aggression, cracks are appearing. Skibitsky recounted several instances of Russian troops defecting and providing intelligence to the Ukrainians, often in dramatic fashion.“We created a special project called ‘I Want to Live’ for Russian soldiers who don’t want to be war criminals. Many have surrendered. Some joined Russian volunteer units fighting against the Kremlin,” he explained to the Post.
Others have gone further. “In Operation Fisherman, a Russian sailor sabotaged his own warship – the Serpukhov of the Baltic Fleet,” he said. “A pilot flew his helicopter into Ukraine. A soldier blew up his battalion’s command post before fleeing. Another smuggled out wounded Ukrainian paratroopers and saved their lives.
“To Russia, they are deserters. To us, they are people who refused to commit crimes. They chose justice.”
Though Ukraine and Israel face different enemies, Skibitsky believes there’s much to learn from each other.
“Israel has developed extraordinary capabilities in missile defense. Ukraine is doing the same, in real time, under fire,” he said. “We now have homegrown interception drones, new electronic warfare systems. That progress has been accelerated by necessity.
“A partnership between Ukraine and Israel in the military sphere would be mutually beneficial,” he said. “Both nations know what it means to defend themselves.”
He described Ukraine’s “floating” air-defense tactics, its use of deception to trick incoming missiles, and its decentralized command structure as essential to survival. “We’ve adapted because we had to. This is the reality of modern war.”
Skibitsky doesn’t entertain illusions about peace coming soon. “Unfortunately, the war will not end tomorrow,” he said. “But Ukraine will not yield. We will continue to fight with all available means – military and nonmilitary – for every inch of our land.”
What does the future hold?
“Our intelligence services are ready for whatever comes next,” he said. “If the war ends tomorrow, we are prepared. If it doesn’t, we continue fighting.”
Skibitsky believes that Ukraine’s role in the world has changed forever. “We are no longer just defending ourselves. We are part of a wider resistance against a world order based on fear and coercion,” he said. “And we will not give in.”
As he spoke, air-raid sirens continued to wail across Ukraine. The war is not over. Not by a long stretch. But neither is Ukraine’s resolve.
“We know who we are. We know what we are fighting for,” Skibitsky said. “And we know what Russia is.”
His words were clear, unsentimental, and searing:“Russia kills. Russia lies. And Russia will not stop unless it is stopped.”
For Ukraine, which has spent over three years trying to explain that to the world, it is a lesson written in blood, debris, and the ruins of Ukraine.