CIA Director William Burns and Richard Moore, chief of MI6, appeared together at a joint public event held in London on Saturday, praising Ukraine’s invasion of Russia’s Kursk Oblast. Both intelligence officials commended the tactical advancement as “audacious” and “bold”, stating that it had effectively brought the war home to ordinary Russians, significantly raising morale within Ukraine.
Moore referred to the Kursk operation as “typically audacious and bold on the part of the Ukrainians, to try and change the game.” Burns echoed this sentiment, calling the attack a “significant tactical achievement” for Ukraine. Despite continuous fighting in Kursk, Russian forces have been able to make faster advances in Ukraine’s Donbas region since launching their invasion.
Although the United States and its allies claim that they were not involved in the planning of the Kursk invasion, a Ukrainian soldier stated that Western intelligence played a critical role in the attack. Ukrainian forces have been using US and British weapons during the assault, marking a significant escalation of the ongoing proxy war.
At the event hosted by the Financial Times, Burns addressed concerns about potential Russian retaliations in response to the West’s support for Ukraine, stating: “I think there was a moment in the fall of 2022 when there was a genuine risk of the potential use of tactical nuclear weapons.” However, he maintained that they should not be intimidated by such threats, as Putin is merely bluffing.
Burns acknowledged that while the Kursk operation has been considered an achievement in exposing vulnerabilities within Putin’s Russia and its military, it has not necessarily weakened President Putin’s power domestically. Burns remarked: “He does one thing really well, and that’s repress people at home.
This public appearance marked the first time that the heads of the CIA and MI6 have shared a stage together. Both intelligence agencies have been deeply involved with Ukraine’s intelligence services since the 2014 coup in Kyiv which led to the ousting of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.
