The Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine (, abbreviated as HUR MO or GUR MO) 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.
The agency's motto is "The Wise will rule the Stars" (). Up to 2016, it was "Statehood, professionalism, decency".
Spheres of activity
The Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine conducts its activity in the military, political, technical, economic, signals, informational and environmental spheres.
The major missions of the directorate are: Obtaining, analyzing and dissemination of the intelligence information to the senior civil and military authorities of Ukraine. Performing special tasks in order to promote the National interests and State policy of Ukraine in economic, political, military, technical, environmental and informational areas, contributing to the national defence, fostering the economic development, promoting science and technology, and protecting the State border. Participating in operations against terrorism, international organised crime, drug, arms and technologies trafficking, and illegal migration. Counteracting the external threats that can affect the National security of Ukraine, lives and health of its citizens and the state facilities abroad.
History
The agency was established from the existing intelligence assets of the Kyiv, Odesa and Carpathian military districts 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.
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.
In 2016 President Petro Poroshenko changed the GUR emblem. It was now an owl holding a sword over Russia with the new motto "The wise will rule over the stars". Moscow was outraged by the new emblem.
On March 22, 2001, the Ukrainian parliament (Rada) ratified the Law of Ukraine "On Intelligence Agencies of Ukraine". The HUR MOU was given the status of special government authority.
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.
Organization
The HUR has an executive office and several agency-wide functions, and five major directorates and departments consisting of the following:
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
Formations of the CDI-MDU
Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the only field reconnaissance unit of the CDI was a special unit subordinated to the Directorate's 4th Special Intelligence Service (4-та Служба спеціальної розвідки):
10th Separate Special Purpose Unit (10-й окремий загін спеціального призначення, Military Unit А2245), based in Rybalskyi Peninsula, Kyiv 3 operational companies – 1st – 3rd Special Purpose Company (1 – 3 сотня спеціального призначення) Formations reporting to the CDI but are operationally part of the Armed Forces and the National Guard include: