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Main Directorate of Intelligence (Ukraine)

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Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine
Головне управління розвідки Міністерства оборони України
Seal of the HUR
Emblem of the HUR[1][2]
Agency overview
FormedSeptember 7, 1992; 32 years ago (1992-09-07)
Preceding agencies
  • GRU
  • Military Strategic Intelligence of MOD
JurisdictionGovernment of Ukraine
MottoLatin: Sapiens dominabitur astris (transl. The wise will rule the stars)[1]
EmployeesClassified
Annual budget₴1 billion
Agency executive
Parent agencyMinistry of Defence
Websitegur.gov.ua
Lieutenant-general Kyrylo Budanov, HUR chief, in 2020

The Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine (Ukrainian: Головне управління розвідки Міністерства оборони України, romanized: Holovne upravlinnia rozvidky Ministerstva oborony Ukrainy, abbreviated HUR, GUR or HUR MOU[a]), also known in English as the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU), is the military intelligence service of the Ukrainian government. It is an agency of the Ministry of Defence, not the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

History

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The HUR Buildings located on Rybalskyi Peninsula, Kyiv

The agency was established from the existing intelligence assets of the Kyiv, Odesa and Carpathian military districts[2] of the Soviet Armed Forces and its Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), following the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the independence of Ukraine.

The Intelligence Directorate of the General Headquarters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was established in February 1992. Based on a presidential decree issued on September 7, 1992, the Strategic Military Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence was created. The existence of two separate agencies with similar responsibilities, and reporting to different authorities, hampered the development of an effective military intelligence system.[2][3]

On July 6, 1993, the Decree of the President of Ukraine ordered the merging of the two agencies to form the Main Military Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence. It was renamed the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, or Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) for short, on April 4, 1994.[3][2]

On March 22, 2001, the Ukrainian parliament (Rada) ratified the Law of Ukraine "On Intelligence Agencies of Ukraine". The HUR was given the status of special government authority.[2]

HUR special forces in Kabul during the 2021 Kabul airlift

On August 18, 2021, HUR special forces moved on Il-76MDs from the 25th Transport Aviation Brigade of the Ukrainian Air Force and flew to Kabul with the mission of evacuating citizens of Ukraine and foreigners during the 2021 Kabul airlift. In total, the aircraft of the brigade made six flights and transported more than 700 citizens of different countries. Special forces went to Kabul three times a day to find and bring citizens who were to be evacuated to the Kabul airport.[4]

On September 20, 2023, CNN reported[5] that Ukrainian special forces were likely behind multiple attacks on Wagner-backed Rapid Support Forces (RSF) forces in Sudan, using DJI Mavic 3 and first-person view (FPV) drones. In May 2023, HUR Chief Kyrylo Budanov vowed[6] to “destroy Russian war criminals anywhere in the world, wherever they are.” In March 2024, reports confirmed that HUR operators from the "Timur" unit were actively fighting Wagner and RSF in Sudan.[7][8]

Emblem

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In 2016, the HUR emblem was changed to an illustration of an owl plunging a sword into Russia. The owl has been said to be a tongue-in-cheek reference to the emblem of the Spetsnaz special forces of the Russian GRU, which depicts a bat - a natural prey of the owl.[9][citation needed] In addition, the motto "The wise will rule over the stars" (Latin: Sapiens Dominabitur Astris) ostensibly alludes to the GRU's motto "Only the stars are above us" (Russian: Выше нас только звёзды, romanized: Vyshe nas tolko zvyozdy). The new emblem was met with outrage from Russian journalists and politicians, including Dmitry Rogozin, and with some calling it a provocation.[10]

Spheres of activity

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The Main Directorate of Intelligence conducts its activity in the military, political, technical, economic, signals, informational and environmental spheres.

The major missions of the directorate are:[11]

  • Extracting, analyzing, processing and disseminating information in accordance with the law "On Intelligence"[12]
  • Conducting measures aimed at promoting the realization of the national interests of Ukraine
  • Identifying external threats to the national security of Ukraine, and conducting measures against such threats
  • Participating in the fight against terrorism and other criminal activities that pose a threat to the national security of Ukraine
  • Cooperating with foreign intelligence bodies
  • Carrying out other activities defined by law to ensure the national security of Ukraine

Organization

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The HUR has an executive office and several agency-wide functions, and five major directorates and departments consisting of the following:[citation needed]

Directorates:

  • Strategic Intelligence Directorate
  • Armed Forces General Staff Intelligence Support Directorate
  • Information Support Directorate
  • Personnel Policy Directorate
  • Logistic Directorate

Departments:

  • Internal Security Department
  • Planning Department
  • Automation and Communication Department
  • Economic and Finance Department
  • Information and state secret protection Department

Combat formations

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Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the only field reconnaissance unit of the HUR was a special unit subordinated to the Directorate's 4th Special Intelligence Service (4-та Служба спеціальної розвідки):[citation needed]

As of 2024, the units subordinate to the HUR include:

Reconnaissance units under AFU:

Special purpose units under AFU control:

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The Main Directorate of Intelligence is legally allowed to operate based upon the following documents:[43]

  • The Constitution of Ukraine
  • Law of Ukraine "On the National Security of Ukraine", 1991
  • Law of Ukraine "On the Defense of Ukraine", 2018
  • Law of Ukraine "On Intelligence", 2020
  • Law of Ukraine "On Military Duty and Military Service", 1992
  • Law of Ukraine "On Central Bodies of Executive Power", 2011
  • Law of Ukraine "On Civil Service", 2015
  • Law of Ukraine "On International Treaties of Ukraine", 2004
  • Law of Ukraine "On the Fight Against Terrorism", 2003
  • Law of Ukraine "On Counter-Intelligence Activities", 2002
  • Law of Ukraine "On Operational and Investigative Activities", 1992
  • Law of Ukraine "On State Secrets", 1994
  • Law of Ukraine "On the Social and Legal Protection of Servicemen and Their Families", 1991
  • Presidential Decree "On the National Security Strategy of Ukraine", 2020
  • Presidential Decree "On the Military Security Strategy of Ukraine", 2021
  • Presidential Decree "On Additional Measures to Further Democratize Society and Strengthen Civil Control Over the Activities of Law Enforcement and Intelligence Agencies of Ukraine", 2004
  • Presidential Decree "On Ensuring Control over the Activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Other Military Formations", 2010
  • Presidential Decree "On Strengthening Control over the Activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Other Military Formations", 2015
  • Presidential Decree "On the Inter-Agency Commission on the Policy of Military-Technical Cooperation and Export Control", 2007
  • Presidential Decree "On Certain Issues of Leadership in the Spheres of National Security and Defense", 2008
  • Presidential Decree "On the Regulation of Military Service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine by Citizens of Ukraine", 2008

Directors

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Born in Volyn Oblast 1945. Graduated from the KGB Higher School in 1975.
Born in Cherkasy Oblast 1955. Graduated from PhD from the National Academy of Defence in 2000.
  • Colonel General Viktor Paliy (September 29, 2000 – March 13, 2003)
Born in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast 1949. Graduated from the Military Academy of General Staff of USSR Armed Forces in 1988.
Born in Kharkiv 1955. Graduated from the Military Academy of Ground Forces Air-Defence in 1987 and the Kyiv University in 2000.
  • Lieutenant General Viktor Hvozd (January 17, 2008 – August 17, 2010)
Born in Ternopil Oblast 1959. Graduated from the Frunze Military College (Kyiv, 1981), Lviv University (1997), Magistrate of Kyiv University of Law and Economics (2005), Military-Diplomatic Academy (2009).
Born in Odesa Oblast 1960. Graduated Military College in 1981, the Military-Diplomatic Academy in 1991, Ukrainian State University in 2008.
  • Major General Yuriy Pavlov (since March 3, 2014 – July 28, 2015)
Born in Lviv Oblast 1962.

Notable members

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Also rendered as GUR or GUR MOU.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Нова емблема воєнної розвідки України - Політика - ТСН.ua". 30 October 2016. Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e "History of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine". gur.mil.gov.ua. Archived from the original on 14 February 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Ukrainian intelligence or how the wise is ruling the stars". uscc.org.ua. Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Center. 6 September 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  4. ^ "Війна в Афганістані - українські спецпризначенці евакуювали 700 осіб - інтерв'ю з учасником операції". 2 September 2021. Archived from the original on 2 September 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  5. ^ Kent, Victoria Butenko, Nima Elbagir, Gianluca Mezzofiore, Tamara Qiblawi, Allegra Goodwin, Andrew Carey, Pallabi Munsi, Mahamat Tahir Zene, Barbara Arvanitidis, Alex Platt, Lauren (19 September 2023). "Exclusive: Ukraine's special services 'likely' behind strikes on Wagner-backed forces in Sudan, a Ukrainian military source says". CNN. Retrieved 6 February 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ Orlova, Kateryna Zakharchenko, Alisa (5 February 2024). "EXCLUSIVE: Ukrainian Special Forces Interrogate Wagner Mercenaries in Sudan". Get the Latest Ukraine News Today - KyivPost. Retrieved 6 February 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ Lovett, Ian; Nikolaienko, Nikita; Bariyo, Nicholas (6 March 2024). "Ukraine Is Now Fighting Russia in Sudan". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 22 March 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  8. ^ "DOCUMENT LCI - L'Ukraine combat la Russie en Afrique : les dessous d'une opération longtemps secrète". TF1 INFO (in French). 21 March 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  9. ^ "13 Awesome Facts About Bats | U.S. Department of the Interior". www.doi.gov. 20 October 2021. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  10. ^ "У Росії раптово почалася істерія через емблему воєнної розвідки України". TSN (in Ukrainian). 30 October 2016. Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  11. ^ "Що ми робимо". Main Directorate of Intelligence (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  12. ^ "Про розвідку". Офіційний вебпортал парламенту України (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  13. ^ "49 навчальний центр розвідки". Main Directorate of Intelligence (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  14. ^ "54 окремий розвідувальний батальйон". Main Directorate of Intelligence (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  15. ^ "74 окремий розвідувальний батальйон". Main Directorate of Intelligence (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  16. ^ "Воїни ЗСУ завершують навчання з БПЛА Poseidon H10 i H6: на що здатні кіпрські "пташки"". ФОКУС (in Ukrainian). 3 September 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  17. ^ "130 окремий розвідувальний батальйон". Main Directorate of Intelligence (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  18. ^ "131 окремий розвідувальний батальйон". Main Directorate of Intelligence (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  19. ^ "Міністерство оборони вирішило переселити розвідбат десантників з Озерного в Житомир". www.zhitomir.info (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  20. ^ "Вірні завжди". Main Directorate of Intelligence (in Ukrainian). 22 December 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  21. ^ Hulevata, Tetyana (27 June 2022). "Український спецназ працює на території росії: що дізналися західні ЗМІ". Telegraf (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  22. ^ Tucker, Maxim (26 June 2022). "'Shaman' special forces take the fight across the border into Russia". The Times. Archived from the original on 12 July 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  23. ^ Kunkle, Fredrick (3 June 2022). "Ukraine's volunteer 'Kraken' unit takes the fight to the Russians". The Washington Post. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  24. ^ Kasumova, Roksana (30 August 2023). "Defence Intelligence special unit commander reveals details of operations on the Black Sea". Ukrainska Pravda. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  25. ^ Kravets, Roman (13 February 2024). "Керівник спецпідрозділу ГУР Тимур: Коли Буданов виходить з нами на операції – це стрес, бо завжди великі ризики". Ukrainska Pravda (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  26. ^ "Пам'яті воїнів-розвідників Непийпива, Святоші, Аполлона й Тарасія" [In memory of scouts Nepiypyva, Svyatoshu, Apollona and Tarasya]. Main Directorate of Intelligence (in Ukrainian). 7 March 2024. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  27. ^ "Крим буде українським!" [Crimea will be Ukrainian!]. Main Directorate of Intelligence (in Ukrainian). 4 October 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  28. ^ "Тренування розвідників-штурмовиків". Main Directorate of Intelligence (in Ukrainian). 18 December 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  29. ^ "Побратими називали його незамінним воїном: на війні загинув 23-річний доброволець з Закарпаття". fakty.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  30. ^ "Закарпатець Руслан Каганець повідомив про створення спецпідрозділу "Відар" ГУР МО". Анонс Закарпаття - всі новини Закарпатської області та м. Ужгород (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  31. ^ "Переобладнання пікапу в мобільну майстерню для 8-го окремого батальйону АРАТТА спецпідрозділ ГУР МО". ТВІЙ КРОК (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  32. ^ "Тренування воїнів групи "Nobody" у складі підрозділу Тимура ГУР МО України". gur.gov.ua. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  33. ^ ""Кажется, будто падает сам самолет": в ГУР показали кадры боев за Авдеевку и обстрелов города КАБами". nv.ua (in Russian). Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  34. ^ "Як працює спецзагін Буданова PARAGON?". aspi.com.ua (in Ukrainian). 2 February 2024. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  35. ^ ""Погляньте, як знищують ворога ці термінатори!": ГУР показало відео роботи спецпідрозділу". The Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (in Ukrainian). 9 January 2024. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  36. ^ "Спецпідрозділ "Крила" запускає проект створення флотилії FPV дронів" [Special Unit "Wings" Launches Project to Create a Flotilla of FPV Drones]. Main Directorate of Intelligence (in Ukrainian). 20 January 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  37. ^ "Group 13 Is Hunters for russian Ships". gur.gov.ua. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  38. ^ Pleitgen, Joseph Ataman, Frederik (5 February 2024). "A Ukrainian pilot outlines how drones powered by jet skis sunk a Russian warship". CNN. Retrieved 14 February 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  39. ^ "International Legion". International Legion of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  40. ^ "Ronin Team". Instagram. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  41. ^ "Tactical Group Athena". Telegram. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  42. ^ "Ronin Team". Instagram. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  43. ^ "Нормативно-правова база діяльності". Main Directorate of intelligence (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  44. ^ "Poroshenko appointed head of intelligence of the MOU Kondratyuk, Deputy head of the AP". Ukrop News 24. Archived from the original on 26 October 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  45. ^ President presents new chief of military intel, UNIAN (25 October 2016)
    Poroshenko: New intel chief to give fresh impetus to military intelligence in Ukraine, Interfax-Ukraine (25 October 2016)
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