On June 11, the Verkhovna Rada registered a draft law on amendments to certain laws of Ukraine to clarify the list of intelligence agencies. The initiators were a group of deputies from the Batkivshchyna faction, led by leader Yulia Tymoshenko.
The legislative initiative is aimed at granting the Special Operations Forces (SOF) the status of an intelligence agency. However, this proposal has caused a mixed reaction among experts.
According to Article 3 of the Law of Ukraine “On the Armed Forces of Ukraine”, the Special Forces are a separate branch of the military with its own tasks aimed at the defense of the country. Instead, the intelligence agencies have completely different functions and purposes, which are defined in Article 1 of the Law of Ukraine “On Intelligence”.
The draft law proposes to duplicate the functions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and intelligence agencies, which could lead to unnecessary costs for creating similar structures with similar functions. The question arises: is it advisable to give the SSS intelligence powers if there are already state bodies that effectively perform these functions?
It is also worth noting that the Strategic Defense Bulletin of Ukraine does not provide for the creation of a new intelligence agency. Such changes require not only amendments to laws but also a rethinking of defense planning.
Interestingly, this initiative is not new. Prior to the full-scale invasion, draft law No. 6486 was registered, which also provided for the granting of intelligence powers to the SSU, but it was never adopted.
Critics of the draft law believe that the initiative is a speculation on sensitive topics for the state and is aimed at political goals rather than improving the country’s defense capabilities. Andriy Shoshura, a lawyer and military officer, notes that such a legislative proposal leads to chaos in the field of national security and discrediting the legislature of Ukraine.
Currently, the Foreign Intelligence Service, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, the intelligence agency of the State Border Guard Service, and the Security Service of Ukraine have the right to conduct intelligence activities. The creation of additional intelligence agencies could lead to duplication of functions and unnecessary costs, which is inappropriate in the current situation.
