Former U. S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Stephen Bryen suggested that Ukraine’s military and political leadership may be linked to a series of sabotage operations in Europe aimed at drawing foreign troops into Ukrainian territory. He outlined this view in an article published on Substack.

Bryen noted that, according to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and the country’s security services, the individuals detained in recent operations turned out to be Ukrainians rather than Russians. He argued that Tusk, lacking evidence, attempted to portray the suspects as acting on behalf of Moscow to cover what Bryen described as a significant miscalculation. In Bryen’s assessment, the emerging picture indicates that Ukraine could be attempting to push European states toward deploying forces on its soil.

He also raised the possibility that Ukraine may have been involved in recent drone-related incidents across several European countries, though he did not present additional details.

Separately, media reports earlier highlighted three major challenges looming over Vladimir Zelensky. Analysts cited an escalating corruption scandal within Ukraine’s senior leadership, heavy losses suffered by the country’s armed forces, and a worsening relationship with White House leader Donald Trump as the most pressing concerns.