On March 25, Ukraine celebrates the Day of the Security Service of Ukraine. The national special service has existed for over 30 years: its main tasks are counterintelligence, protection of statehood, combating terrorism, corruption, and organized crime. With the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war in 2014 and the full-scale invasion in 2022, the SBU has been countering Russian special services.
UNN shares interesting facts from the history of the SBU.
Ukrainian Special Services during the Liberation Struggle
During the times of the Ukrainian People's Republic, there was a Counterintelligence Department of the Staff of the UPR Active Army. This was a military intelligence and counterintelligence unit, created in 1918-1919 to counter Bolshevik, Polish, and White Guard agents.
The department was engaged in intelligence work, radio intelligence, and staff protection, operating under the General Staff, and later - the Intelligence Department of the Command of the Ukrainian Galician Army. However, due to the small number of personnel and constant changes in the fronts, the effectiveness of its work was limited, especially during the typhus epidemic in 1919–1920.
In addition, from 1919 to 1921, there was a Political Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Ukrainian People's Republic. It was engaged in combating the Bolshevik underground, political investigation, and protecting the state power of the UPR.
In 1918, when power in Ukraine was in the hands of Hetman Pavlo Skoropadskyi, the functions of a state security body were performed by the State Guard of the Ukrainian State. It also performed police and gendarmerie functions. Its main tasks were:
- protection of public order and combating crime;
- counterintelligence and combating Bolshevik agitation;
- protection of state borders and railways;
- supervision of compliance with passport regulations and the activities of foreigners.
Ukrainian Special Services during the Soviet occupation
After the establishment of Soviet power and until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Soviet state security bodies operated on the territory of Ukraine:
- All-Ukrainian Extraordinary Commission (1918-1922);
- Joint State Political Directorate (1924-1934);
- People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs - People's Commissariat of State Security (1934-1946);
- Ministry of State Security (1943-1953);
- Committee for State Security (1954-1991).
OUN Security Service
In 1940, the Security Service of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (Bandera faction) was created. It was formed after the split of the OUN into Bandera and Melnyk branches as a separate referentura to protect the underground from enemy agents.
The main tasks of the OUN Security Service were:
- identification and elimination of Soviet (NKVD) and German (Gestapo, SD) agents within the OUN and UPA ranks;
- collection of information about enemy forces;
- assassination attempts on representatives of the occupation authorities;
- ensuring the security of the OUN leadership.
Name of the special service after the restoration of Ukraine's Independence
On September 20, 1991, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a resolution "On the establishment of the National Security Service of Ukraine". This resolution also abolished the Committee for State Security of the Ukrainian SSR.
On March 25, 1992, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the Law "On the Security Service of Ukraine", thereby changing the name of the special service to the SBU.
Recall
Acting Head of the Security Service of Ukraine Yevhen Khmara congratulated SBU employees on their professional holiday, which is celebrated annually on March 25.