In conditions of the full-scale war the SSU has become one of the key security institutions in counteraction to russian armed aggression.

The SSU not only defuses enemy agents inside the country but it is also effective on the front line, bringing the Victory closer.

The war proved that Ukraine needs a strong intelligence service. Responding to the challenges of wartime, the SSU has made significant progress in its activities, brining emphasis on such areas as counterintelligence, fighting crimes against national statehood, preventing terrorist attacks, investigating russian war crimes, cyber defense, etc.

‘During the full-scale war the SSU has proved that it is capable to be effective, powerful, and combat-ready – the way the people of Ukraine want it to be. As an important constituent part of the Defense and Security Forces, the SSU has built a reliable protection system of the state from russian intelligence services. Despite all the enemy's attempts to use its agents, collaborators or destabilize the situation in Ukraine, the SSU responds promptly to threats and even takes proactive steps,’ President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy evaluated the Service’s activities.

‘The war has dramatically changed approaches to state security. Today the strong Service is a prerequisite to Ukraine's victory. Our mission is a comprehensive and efficient counteraction to russia. We are successful in it, while the Parliament is looking for the best model of the SSU reform considering the wartime,’ the SSU Head Vasyl Maliuk admitted.

The SSU’s major priorities are:

• counterintelligence and prevention of subversive and sabotage foreign intelligence activities;
• counterterrorism;
• cybersecurity;
• protection of state secrets.

The efforts to develop the SSU's institutional and functional capabilities are ongoing. The purpose is to reform the Service and strengthen its functions in line with the European and Euro-Atlantic experience of building internal security services.

SSU'S ADDITIONAL CAPABILITIES DURING THE WAR

Many factors contribute to the SSU's high efficiency during the war, including professionalism and patriotism of the officers who defend the country and fight in the hottest spots.

Laws adopted by the Parliament, including those adopted during the first months of russia's full-scale invasion, provided additional capabilities to the Service.

In particular, during the martial law period the SSU successfully implements the following regulatory innovations:

• the SSU is defined as one the subjects of the national system of critical infrastructure protection, including cyber defense;
• the SSU investigates criminal cases for collaboration, aiding and abetting the aggressor state, which entail criminal responsibility;
• the SSU lists political parties and non-governmental organizations that pose a threat to national security. It helps prevent the negative impact of the russian federation on the political situation in Ukraine;
• counterterrorism capabilities of the SSU and Counterterrorism Center of the SSU are strengthened; criminal responsibility for crossing the border for terrorist purposes and terrorist training is established, and the SSU serves as a contact point to share terrorist related information;
• the SSU is defined as one of the subjects of the state aviation and authorized to use unmanned aircraft/watercraft to ensure state security, prevent terrorist acts and protect critical infrastructure.

Due to all these, the SSU has refocused promptly on countering threats to state security using a risk-based approach.

COUNTERINTELLIGENCE ACTIVITIES AND DIVISION OF COMPETENCES

Counterintelligence has become one of the key SSU’s functions during the war. It is essential for the timely detection and prevention of external and internal threats to Ukraine's security and for the suppression of intelligence, terrorist and other illegal attacks on state security by foreign intelligence services and their agent networks.

The SSU Counterintelligence contributes significantly to the country's defense by carrying out counterintelligence, counter sabotage and combat operations.

For implementing changes in legislation within the framework of Ukraine's European and Euro-Atlantic integration, the SSU has been deprived of its functions to detect and investigate economic and corruption crimes.

The SSU promptly shares the information received in the course of counterintelligence activities on such offenses to other competent authorities - the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine, National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, State Bureau of Investigation, and National Police of Ukraine.

PROTECTION OF CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITIES

Counter-intelligence and anti-terrorist protection of critical infrastructure facilities belong to key responsibilities of the Security Service of Ukraine. It includes not only readiness for possible cyberattacks but also the localization of other threats – terrorist attacks, sabotage, reconnaissance and subversion, etc.

STRUCTURE OPTIMISATION

The war challenges have shown the importance of introducing a "flexible structure" in the SSU. Such principle allows to create certain units in the SSU system irrespective of the organizational and staff structure formalized in the law, but taking into account the peculiarities of the security environment.

Thus, more rational distribution and use of capabilities and resources can be ensured in case of new threats.

PERSONNEL TRAINING

It is high professionalism that allows SSU employees to perform sophisticated combat missions and unique special operations. In particular, to destroy the enemy's military infrastructure, equipment and personnel, actively use unmanned vessels, detect and localize threats in the cyber domain, etc.

The SSU's educational institutions are constantly improving their study programs. By applying the best practices of the world's leading intelligence services and the unique practical experience gained by SSU units during the war, the teaching staff provide trainees with new knowledge and skills.

In particular, the SSU National Academy has already introduced the UAV operators training; teaching methodology for conducting open-source intelligence (OSINT) and financial investigations, including crimes that involve virtual assets; the basics of strategic communications, as well as polygraph examiners advanced training, etc.

Teachers of educational institutions are constantly improving their professional knowledge and skills, mastering modern teaching methods and practices and new educational, information and communication technologies.

PROFESSIONALISM AND INTEGRITY

Candidates for the service and the SSU employees undergo integrity checks to prevent and detect prerequisites for ethical standards violations and corruption.

Recently, the Service has radically changed its personnel policy: strengthened the internal security unit and purged its ranks by detecting Russian agents and traitors. The SSU Head, Vasyl Maliuk, personally coordinated these pivotal tasks.

Apart from this, the SSU has tightened its requirements for employees and candidates for the service, introducing modern methods of impartial, comprehensive and objective personnel work assessment.

Therefore, the Security Service of Ukraine has updated the Professional Ethics and Integrity Rules as well as developed the SSU Employees Attestation Procedure.

NATO practical guidelines on personnel management, integrity strengthening, transparency and accountability, reducing the risk of corruption in the security sector were taken into account while developing these documents.

PRIORITIES AND GOALS

Currently, the SSU employees do everything possible to liberate Ukrainian territories from the enemy. Simultaneously, they are continuously working on implementing changes initiated within the Service in pre-war period. This process has to proceed after the Victory.

Considering all the geographical and geopolitical circumstances, Ukraine needs an efficient and effective special service endowed with the necessary tools, mechanisms and resources.

Among the fundamental changes, that are critical for the SSU's further work, are the following:

• regulating the SSU's activities in the post-war period for neutralizing war consequences and countering hybrid threats;
• strengthening the SSU role as a constituent part of the Security and Defense Sector Forces and the principal counterintelligence agency;
• complete transition to a proactive approach and risk prevention practices;
• developing the SSU's information and analytical component;
• improving social and legal protection of the employees;
• strengthening the SSU personnel potential and ongoing employees' professional development;
• introducing modern technical and technological innovations in the SSU’s activities.