Ukraine’s Security Service emerges as Kyiv’s key lethal force for taking out adversaries

The assassination of Igor Kirillov, head of the Russian Armed Forces' Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Defense Troops, underscores the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) as a pivotal tool in Kyiv’s multifront battle against Russia, writes Financial Times. A Russian general was killed by an explosive device in Moscow on 17 December. The incident occurred one day after the SBU charged Kirillov in absentia. According to Ukrainian authorities, more than 4,800 cases of Russian chemical munitions use had been recorded under Kirillov’s orders since February 2022, particularly involving CS and CN riot control agents. Historically focused on domestic matters, the SBU shifted to active operations in occupied territories and Russia following the 2014 invasion. This evolution accelerated in 2022, with the SBU achieving high-profile successes like the Crimean Bridge bombing and the neutralization of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet using maritime drones. The agency also specializes in eliminating Ukraine’s adversaries. According to a Ukrainian intelligence officer cited by FT, the SBU took out multiple separatist leaders in occupied Donetsk and Luhansk from 2014 to 2021. Its operations in Russia now include sabotage and targeted killings. The SBU’s effectiveness stems partly from its size, a Soviet legacy. With over 30,000 employees and numerous freelance operatives, the SBU rivals the FBI in scale and dwarfs other agencies like the UK’s MI5 and Israel’s Mossad.

“(The SBU) wields enormous power — some would say too much power,” a Western diplomat told FT.

The diplomat noted that for years, the agency faced criticism for its lack of significant reforms, as urged by Ukraine’s partners, including the US, EU, and other G7 members. However, during the war with Russia, these Western nations set aside their complaints and strengthened ties with the SBU, including intelligence-sharing. The SBU has reportedly particularly close ties with the CIA, which has invested millions of dollars in training programs for Ukrainian agents. High-profile assassinations of Russian military figures and collaborators, attributed to the SBU or HUR, Ukraine's intelligence agency, have become a near-monthly occurrence. Yuri Kotenok, a Russian war reporter, observed that Ukraine’s intelligence services “feel they have total impunity on Russia” and noted, “the fact that the enemy is all but openly bragging about it is pretty symptomatic.”

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