History

 

Names of the intelligence agency of Ukraine (since September 1991)

September 1991 – December 1991

First Department of the National Security Service of Ukraine.

 

December 1991 – March 1992

The Main Directorate of Intelligence of the National Security Service of Ukraine.

 

March 1992 – February 2004

The Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Security Service of Ukraine.

 

February – October 2004

Department of Intelligence of the Security Service of Ukraine.

 

Since October 2004

Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine.

 

 

 

 

 

History of SZRU

Історія створення СЗРУ

History of FISU

The analysis of available historical materials of the Kyivan Rus period, Hetmanat, People`s Republic of Ukraine reflects the fact that since ancient times Ukrainian officials have been paying great attention to the role of intelligence in the defense of national interests, development of international relations as well as in planning and conducting military operations.

During the Soviet period the intelligence service in Ukraine was a regional component of the joint all-Union intelligence apparatus of the USSR national security system.

After the independence of Ukraine was proclaimed, the Main Directorate of Intelligence was established within the National Security Service of Ukraine. Its organization and structure was approved by a special order of the Head of the National Security Service of Ukraine (December 28, 1991). This Main Directorate' s tasks were to determine the strategy, basic principles, forms and methods of its work according to the classical lines of activity of the modern intelligence service in independent Ukraine and provide the top leadership of the state with intelligence on the urgent national security issues on permanent basis.

Several units of strategic radio interception service of the USSR KGB (Committee for State Security) and the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the USSR were located on the territory of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. The Department of Electronic Intelligence and Counterintelligence of the Security Service of Ukraine (Service “R”) was established on their basis in 1992 and in 1999 was granted the status of the Main Directorate “R” of the Security Service of Ukraine.

The Law of Ukraine “On the Intelligence Agencies of Ukraine”, adopted in March 2001, was an important step in strengthening legal foundations of Ukrainian intelligence.

The Law identifies the objectives, major tasks and principles of the foreign intelligence agencies, outlines their rights and spheres of activity, the order of interaction between them and other governmental agencies, the principles of relations with foreign special services, etc.

In February 2004, by the Presidential Decree, the Intelligence Department of the Security Service of Ukraine was founded on the basis of the Main Directorate of Intelligence and the Main Directorate “R”. This decision of the state leadership supported the embodiment by the units of the Main Directorate “R” of technical intelligence functions.

The next period of the Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence began on October 14, 2004 with the signing of the Presidential Decree “On the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine”. Since then the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine (SZRU) has been operating as an independent state agency.

December 1, 2005 the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the Law “On the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine”.

Taking into consideration the significant contribution of the intelligence agencies of Ukraine to the protection of national interests of Ukraine from external threats, the Decree of the President of Ukraine №381 / 2018 established the Day of Foreign Intelligence of Ukraine, which is celebrated annually on January 24.

September 17, 2020, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the Law of Ukraine “On Intelligence”. For the first time, at the legislative level, an intelligence community was created –a circle of entities whose activities directly or indirectly relate to the protection of Ukraine’s state interests from external threats. The Law also determines the role and place of individual subjects of this community in the implementation of tasks to ensure Ukraine's external security, as well as the principles of their interaction.

The Law clearly delineates the powers and responsibilities of intelligence agencies by focusing their efforts on priority directions of national security, eliminating duplication of their tasks and functions, and at the same time providing a comprehensive approach to the fulfillment by intelligence agencies of priority tasks in relevant spheres.

 

Previous leaders of FISU

Lytvynenko Oleksandr  Valeriyovych

Born on April 27, 1972, in Kyiv.

July 23, 2021 – March 26, 2024 – Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine.

Awards: the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise of the V Class, the Honorary Award of the President of Ukraine – the Jubilee medal on “25 Years of Independence of Ukraine”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kondratiuk Valerii Vitaliyovych

 

Born July 4, 1970 in Taraz (Jambul), Kazakhstan.

June 5, 2020 – July 23, 2021 – the Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine.

Lieutenant-General.

Awards:  the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 3rd Class, and the medal “For Military Service to Ukraine”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yevdokymov Valerii Volodymyrovych

 

Born November 17, 1969 in Rivne

September 20, 2019 – June 5, 2020 – the Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine.

Major General of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine.

Awards: The Order of Danylo Halytskyi and departmental encouraging decorations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bukhariev Vladyslav Viktorovych

Голова СЗРУ

Born March 14, 1969 in Lebedyn, Sumy region.

June – September 2019 – Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine

Colonel General (Res.)

Awards:The Order of Merit, 2nd and 3rd class and departmental encouraging decorations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alieksieienko Andriy Viktorovych

 

Born July 29, 1963 in Chernihiv region.

March 16, 2019 – June 11, 2019 – the Acting Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine.

Awards: departmental encouraging decorations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bozhok Yehor Valeriyovych

Божок Єгор Валерійович

Born on September 6, 1980 in Kyiv.

September 2017 – March 2019 – Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine

Has a diplomatic rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.

Awards: departmental encouraging decorations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Razinkov Ihor Prokopovych

Разінков Ігор Прокопович

 

Born December 3, 1965 in Nechayane, Mykolaiv region.

From June 2016 to September 2017 was Acting Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine.

Lieutenant-General of the reserve.

Awards: The Order of Merit, 3rd class and departmental encouraging decorations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hvozd Victor Ivanovych

Гвоздь Віктор Іванович

 

Born on May 24, 1959 in Skala Podilska, Borshchiv district, Ternopil region. Died on May 28, 2021

February 2014 – April 2016 – Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine.

Lieutenant-General (Res.)

Awards:The Order of Merit, 3rd class, Order of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi, 3rd class and

departmental encouraging decorations. Honoured Lawyer of Ukraine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Malomuzh Mykola Hryhorovych

Маломуж Микола Григорович

 

Born on September 23, 1955, in Skalivatka, Zvvenyhorod district, Cherkasy region.

April 2005 – June 2010 – Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine.

General of the Army of Ukraine (Retired).

Awards: The Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 5th class and departmental encouraging decorations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chornozub Valerii Petrovych

Чорнозуб Валерій Петрович

 

Born on November 7, 1953, in Mykolayiv.

From February to April, 2005 – Acting Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine.

Major-General (Retired).

Awards: The Order of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi, 3rd class and departmental encouraging decorations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Synianskyi Oleh Hryhorovych

Синянський Олег Григорович

 

November 2003 – March 2004 – Chief of the Main Department of Intelligence of the Security Service of Ukraine.

March – October 2004 – Chief of the Intelligence Department of the Security Service of Ukraine.

October 2004 – February 2005 – Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine.

Major-General (Res.).

Awards: The Order of Merit, 2nd class, departmental encouraging decorations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kopka Petro Mykolaiovych

Копка Петро Миколайович

 

Born on August, 18, 1955, in Viazivok, Horodyshche district, Cherkasy region.

From July to November, 2003 – Acting Chief of the Main Department of Intelligence of the Security Service of Ukraine.

Major-General (Retired).

Awards: departmental encouraging decorations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cherevan Oleksandr Viktorovych

Черевань Олександр Вікторович

 

Born on January 25, 1952, in Rubizhne, Luhansk region.

December 2000 – July 2003 – Chief of the Main Department of Intelligence of the Security Service of Ukraine.

Lieutenant-General (Retired).

Awards: departmental encouraging decorations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rozhen Leonid Mykolayovych

Рожен Леонід Миколайович

 

Born on February 2, 1952, in Synikha, Kupyansk district, Kharkiv region.

February 1999 – November 2000 – Chief of the Main Department of Intelligence of the Security Service of Ukraine.

Lieutenant-General (Retired).

Awards: the Order of the Badge of Honour, the Order of Merit, 3rd class and departmental encouraging decorations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Abramov Viacheslav Volodymyrovych

Абрамов В`ячеслав Володимирович

 

Born on April 15, 1948, in Dnipropetrovsk. Died on August 29, 2021

July 1995 – December 1998 – Chief of the Main Department of Intelligence of the Security Service of Ukraine.

Major-General (Retired).

Awards: departmental encouraging decorations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sharkov Oleksandr Kostyantynovych

Шарков Олександр Костянтинович

 

Born on October 21, 1945, in Kyiv. Died on March 16, 2017.

January 1993 – July 1995 – Acting Chief, Chief of the Main Department of Intelligence of the Security Service of Ukraine.

Major-General (Retired).

Awards: an Order and departmental encouraging decorations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kovtun Heorhii Kyrylovych

Ковтун Георгій Кирилович

 

Born on September 28, 1930, in Vynogradivka village, Mykhailivskyi district, Amurska oblast, Russian Federation. Died on December, 2004.

December 1991 – December 1992 – Deputy Chairman of the NSSU – Chief of the Main Department of Intelligence of the National Security Service of Ukraine (after March 1992 – the Security Service of Ukraine).

Major-General (Retired).

Awards: Orders and departmental encouraging decorations.