Ukraine’s HUR agency is conducting covert operations against Russian bases in Syria to disrupt Russia’s military activities.
Since the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine in 2022, HUR, the Ukrainian military intelligence agency, has stepped up its operations abroad, targeting Russian infrastructure outside Ukraine. In Syria, the HUR struck the Kuweires air base, destroying an electronic warfare system used by Russia to defend itself against drones. This action enabled several drones to carry out an effective attack on the base. The aim of these missions is to disrupt Russian forces, in particular by preventing the training of mercenaries to fight in Ukraine. The Syrian operation reflects a wider HUR strategy, which often remains discreet, but whose results are visible around the world.
HUR operations: a global network of discreet interventions
HUR (Hlavne Upravlinnia Rozvidky) is the Ukrainian military intelligence agency that has extended its operations well beyond Ukraine’s borders since the Russian invasion in 2022. This service has carried out actions in Europe, Africa and even Syria, a country where the Russian presence has been strong since 2015. HUR operatives, fluent in Russian and often other languages, pose as Russian or Ukrainian civilians when travelling internationally, enabling them to go undetected and infiltrate military bases.
A notable example of the HUR’s effectiveness is the operation against the Kuweires base in Syria. In 2024, a HUR unit called Khimik managed to penetrate the air base to neutralise a Russian electronic warfare system. This system was crucial in protecting the base from drone attacks. Once the system was disabled, drones were deployed to severely damage the Russian military infrastructure on the site.
The Kuweires base is used by Russia not only for its operations in Syria, but also to train mercenaries for Ukraine. By disrupting this training, the HUR is indirectly weakening the capabilities of Russian forces on the Ukrainian front, creating additional pressure on the Russian war effort.
Strategic reasons for Ukrainian involvement in Syria
Why an operation so far from Ukraine? The HUR has identified the Syrian base of Kuweires as a key element in Russian military support. As well as training mercenaries, this base was used to experiment with military tactics and technologies used against Ukrainian forces. By destroying the base’s defence system, Ukraine not only delayed this training, but also dealt a blow to Russian operations in Syria.
Russia’s involvement in Syria began in 2015, when it intervened to support the regime of Bashar Al-Assad. This intervention enabled Russia to strengthen its military presence in the region, notably through the port of Tartous and various air bases. Since then, Russia has used these bases for its own geopolitical objectives, notably in conjunction with Iran, but also to train mercenaries and test military equipment for use in the fighting in Ukraine.
The attack on HUR in Syria underlines the importance of this base in Russian military strategy. Neutralising a key element of Russian defence in Syria not only protects Ukrainian troops on the ground, but also weakens Russian efforts in a region where they thought they were safe from direct attack.
The international implications of the HUR’s actions
The HUR’s Syrian operation is not an isolated case. Since 2022, the HUR has carried out several actions outside Ukraine, often without these operations being publicly acknowledged. For example, in Africa, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo, reports suggest that the HUR is disrupting Russian activities to gain access to mineral resources. These actions are carried out discreetly, as the HUR prefers to avoid any publicity that could complicate its future operations.
By 2023, it was estimated that similar operations were also being carried out in South America and other regions where Russia is trying to strengthen its presence. Although little information is available about the extent of these operations, it is clear that the HUR is taking a comprehensive approach to weakening Russian military and economic capabilities.
The HUR’s role in these international operations is not always apparent. Often, even Ukraine’s allies, such as the United States, are not informed of the specific actions carried out by the HUR. This approach allows the agency to retain a degree of flexibility and not depend on the approval of other governments to carry out its operations.
Consequences for Russian military strategy
The HUR’s actions in Syria and elsewhere have significant consequences for Russian military strategy. By disrupting military bases, defence systems and mercenary training operations, Ukraine is weakening Russia’s ability to respond effectively to the war in Ukraine. These attacks are also creating uncertainty among Russian commanders, who now have to secure their bases outside Russia.
The Kuweires attack also revealed a major vulnerability in Russian defence: the reliance on electronic warfare systems to protect critical bases. By destroying this type of system, Ukraine has shown that it is capable of attacking its enemies’ key infrastructure, even thousands of kilometres from the front line. This could encourage Russia to redeploy certain resources to protect its bases abroad, thereby weakening its positions in Ukraine.
The HUR’s international operations, although often discreet, play a crucial role in weakening Russian capabilities. By attacking bases such as Kuweires, Ukraine is disrupting Russian logistics, weakening its military formations and maintaining constant pressure on Russian forces, while minimising its own losses. The HUR’s actions demonstrate that Ukraine is capable of operating on the international stage with strategic effectiveness.
War Wings Daily is an independant magazine.