Following the reform, the Security Service of Ukraine must maintain effective tools to combat corruption, which is often used as part of a hybrid war against Ukraine. This statement was set out by Deputy Head of the SBU Reformation Serhiy Pun in his article for Ukrainian media.

"Corruption is one of the threats to national security as well as an element of a hybrid war against Ukraine. Whereas the Russian special services (and others) are quite capable of using corruption tools for their own purposes," Serhiy Pun underlined.

He cited the example of Russia’s active attempts to implement a "soft federalization" project in our country. It aimed at corrupting deputies of the local councils for making decisions on economic autonomy of territories.

The counteraction to such developments must be complex, while the SBU should apply to approaches of foreign special services. This activity is very scrupulous and extensive. It is the SBU’s business indeed, since we are talking not that much about corruption offence, but about the reconnaissance and subversive activity foremost, - Serhiy Pun admits.

Therefore, corruption crimes should be investigated by anti-corruption bodies, but those issues related to state security should be remained within the SBU jurisdiction. At the same time, the SBU should efficiently cooperate with anti-corruption bodies.

To recall, on March 10, the draft law "On the Security Service of Ukraine" was submitted by the President to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. It contains systemic innovations that will allow the Ukrainian special service to turn to qualitatively different format in its activities. In May, the Verkhovna Rada considered the draft law and sent it for a subsequent reading in committees. Currently, work on the text of the project is underway in the relevant committee of the Verkhovna Rada with the involvement of expert representatives from international partners and the public sector.