Main Directorate of Intelligence (Ukraine)

Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine
Головне управління розвідки Міністерства оборони України
Seal of the HUR
Emblem of the HUR
The HUR buildings on Rybalskyi Peninsula, Kyiv
Agency overview
Formed7 September 1992; 34 years ago (1992-09-07)
Preceding agencies
JurisdictionGovernment of Ukraine
MottoLatin: Sapiens dominabitur astris (transl. The wise will rule the stars)
EmployeesClassified
Annual budget₴1 billion
Agency executive
Parent agency
 Ministry of Defence
Websitegur.gov.ua
Lieutenant-general Oleh Ivashchenko, HUR chief, in 2025

The Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine (Ukrainian: Головне управління розвідки Міністерства оборони України, ГУР МОУ, romanized: Holovne upravlinnia rozvidky Ministerstva oborony Ukrainy, GUR / HUR MO), also known in English as the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU), 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.

Similar to the GRU, both its predecessor and Russian counterpart, the HUR is not restricted to intelligence-gathering but also carries out military operations and contains Spetsnaz units under its operational control.

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 7 September 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 6 July 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 4 April 1994.

On 22 March 2001, the Ukrainian parliament (Rada) ratified the Law of Ukraine "On Intelligence Agencies of Ukraine". The HUR was given the status of special government authority.

HUR special forces at the 2021 Kabul airlift

On 18 August 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.

In the February of 2022, the ongoing conflict of Ukraine escalated to a full-scale war, leading to Russia's invasion on the 24th of the month. The DIU played an indirect role in events surrounding this invasion by issuing pre-invasion warnings, strengthening defence by coordinating western allies, carrying out covert missions, and influencing the leadership of Ukraine to respond decisively. The DIU prevented the fall of the Ukrainian cities by providing defence over Kyiv and launching counter attacks in Kharkiv.

On 20 September 2023, CNN reported that Ukrainian special forces were likely behind multiple attacks on Wagner-backed Rapid Support Forces (RSF) forces in Sudan, using DJI Mavic 3 and first-person view (FPV) drones. In May 2023, HUR Chief Kyrylo Budanov vowed to "destroy Russian war criminals anywhere in the world, wherever they are." In March 2024, reports confirmed that HUR operators from the "Timur" unit were actively fighting Wagner and RSF in Sudan.

On 30 January 2024, the DIU received a Snatch Land Rover SUV for its personnel from volunteers of the British-Ukrainian society "Driving Ukraine".

On 2 May 2025, a Ukrainian HUR MAGURA V5 naval drone shot down a Russian Su-30 using a R-73 missile, 50 km west of Novorossiysk. The crew of two ended up in the Black Sea, where a civilian ship later recovered them. HUR claimed it was the first time a maritime drone shot down an aircraft.

In April 2026, HUR announced that it had performed two space-launch capability tests during the period under Budanov's leadership, with the first test reaching an altitude of 100 km, and the second launch reaching 204 km.

In June 2026 Forbes reported that following Russia's 2014 invasion began close cooperation with the Central Intelligence Agency, which helped reform the institution weakened by corruption, Russian infiltration and its Soviet-era legacy. The cooperation is reported to be ongoing as of mid-2026, with Ukraine providing its US counterpart with insights into Russia.

Emblem

In 2016, the HUR emblem was changed to an illustration of an owl plunging a sword into Russia. The owl has been said to be a tongue-in-cheek reference to the emblem of the Spetsnaz special forces of the Russian GRU, which depicts a bat - a natural prey of the owl.[citation needed] In addition, the motto "The wise will rule over the stars" (Latin: Sapiens Dominabitur Astris) ostensibly alludes to the GRU's motto "Only the stars are above us" (Russian: Выше нас только звeзды, romanized: Vyshe nas tolko zvyezdy). The new emblem was met with outrage from Russian journalists and politicians, including Dmitry Rogozin, and with some calling it a provocation.

Spheres of activity

The Main Directorate of Intelligence conducts its activity in the military, political, technical, economic, signals, informational and environmental spheres.

The major missions of the directorate are:

Organization

The HUR has an executive office and several agency-wide functions, and five major directorates and departments consisting of the following:[citation needed]

Directorates:

Departments:

Combat formations

Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the only field reconnaissance unit of the HUR was a special unit subordinated to the Directorate's 4th Special Intelligence Service (4-та Служба спеціальної розвідки):[citation needed]

As of 2024, the units subordinate to the HUR include:

Reconnaissance units subordinated to Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU):

Spetsnaz units under AFU operational control:

The Main Directorate of Intelligence is legally allowed to operate based upon the following documents:

List of directors

No.Portrait NameTook officeLeft officeTime in officeDefence branchRef.
1
Oleksandr Skipalskyi
Skipalskyi, OleksandrLieutenant General
Oleksandr Skipalskyi
(born 1945)		16 October 19929 June 19974 years, 236 days Soviet Army
2
Ihor Smeshko
Smeshko, IhorColonel General
Ihor Smeshko
(born 1955)		9 June 199729 September 20003 years, 112 days Ukrainian Ground Forces
3
Viktor Paliy
Paliy, ViktorColonel General
Viktor Paliy
(born 1949)		29 September 200013 March 20032 years, 165 days Armed Forces of Ukraine
4
Oleksandr Halaka
Halaka, OleksandrColonel
Oleksandr Halaka
(born 1955)		13 March 200317 January 20084 years, 310 days Armed Forces of Ukraine
5
Oleksandr Halaka
Halaka, OleksandrColonel
Oleksandr Halaka
(born 1955)		13 March 200317 January 20084 years, 310 days Armed Forces of Ukraine
6
Viktor Hvozd
Hvozd, ViktorLieutenant General
Viktor Hvozd
(born 1959)		17 January 200817 August 20102 years, 212 days Armed Forces of Ukraine
7
Serhiy Hmyza
Hmyza, SerhiyMajor General
Serhiy Hmyza
(born 1960)		17 August 201026 February 20143 years, 193 days Armed Forces of Ukraine
8
Yuriy Pavlov
Pavlov, YuriyMajor General
Yuriy Pavlov
(born 1962)		3 March 201428 July 20151 year, 147 days Armed Forces of Ukraine
10
Valeriy Kondratyuk
Kondratyuk, ValeriyLieutenant General
Valeriy Kondratyuk		28 July 201515 October 20163 years, 193 days Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine
11
Vasyl Burba
Burba, VasylMajor General
Vasyl Burba
(born 1978)		15 October 20165 August 20203 years, 295 days Armed Forces of Ukraine
12
Kyrylo Budanov
Budanov, KyryloLieutenant General
Kyrylo Budanov
(born 1986)		5 August 20202 January 20265 years, 150 days Armed Forces of Ukraine
13
Oleh Ivashchenko
Ivashchenko, OlehLieutenant General
Oleh Ivashchenko
(born 1969)		2 January 2026298 days Armed Forces of Ukraine

Notable members

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Also rendered as GUR / HUR MOU.

References

  1. 1 2 "Нова емблема воєнної розвідки України - Політика - ТСН.ua". 30 October 2016. Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "History of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine". gur.mil.gov.ua. Archived from the original on 14 February 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  3. 1 2 "Ukrainian intelligence or how the wise is ruling the stars". uscc.org.ua. Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Center. 6 September 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  4. ↑ "Війна в Афганістані - українські спецпризначенці евакуювали 700 осіб - інтерв'ю з учасником операції". 2 September 2021. Archived from the original on 2 September 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  5. ↑ Rekeda, Alexander (15 August 2024). "The Role of Intelligence in the Ukraine War: A Critical Analysis". Alexander Rekeda. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
  6. ↑ Roth, Andrew (17 December 2021). "Russia issues list of demands it says must be met to lower tensions in Europe". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
  7. ↑ Victoria Butenko; Nima Elbagir; Gianluca Mezzofiore; Tamara Qiblawi; Allegra Goodwin; Andrew Carey; Pallabi Munsi; Mahamat Tahir Zene; Barbara Arvanitidis (19 September 2023). "Exclusive: Ukraine's special services 'likely' behind strikes on Wagner-backed forces in Sudan, a Ukrainian military source says". CNN. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  8. ↑ Zakharchenko, Kateryna; Orlova, Alisa (5 February 2024). "EXCLUSIVE: Ukrainian Special Forces Interrogate Wagner Mercenaries in Sudan". Get the Latest Ukraine News Today - KyivPost. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  9. ↑ Lovett, Ian; Nikolaienko, Nikita; Bariyo, Nicholas (6 March 2024). "Ukraine Is Now Fighting Russia in Sudan". The Wall Street Journal.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  10. ↑ "DOCUMENT LCI - L'Ukraine combat la Russie en Afrique : les dessous d'une opération longtemps secrète". TF1 INFO (in French). 21 March 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  11. ↑ "British volunteers handed over an armored Land Rover to the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine". Archived from the original on 25 March 2025.
  12. ↑ OLEKSANDRA BASHCHENKO (3 May 2025). "Ukrainian intelligence destroys Russian Su-30 with Magura sea drone in first of its kind strike (video)". RBC Ukraine. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
  13. ↑ Roman Pryhodko (3 May 2025). "$50M Russian Su-30 in Black Sea". militarnyi. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
  14. ↑ Boyko Nikolov (3 May 2025). "Ukrainian sea drone downs $50M Russian Su-30 in Black Sea". bulgarianmilitary. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
  15. ↑ Vlad Litnarovych (13 April 2026). "Ukraine Quietly Tested Space-Launch Capabilities in Middle of War Twice". United24. Archived from the original on 13 April 2026.
  16. ↑ Kirichenko, David. "How The CIA Helped Build Ukraine's Intelligence Advantage". Forbes. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  17. ↑ "13 Awesome Facts About Bats | U.S. Department of the Interior". www.doi.gov. 20 October 2021. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  18. ↑ "У Росії раптово почалася істерія через емблему воєнної розвідки України". TSN (in Ukrainian). 30 October 2016. Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  19. ↑ "Що ми робимо". Main Directorate of Intelligence (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  20. ↑ "Про розвідку". Офіційний вебпортал парламенту України (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  21. ↑ "49 навчальний центр розвідки". Main Directorate of Intelligence (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  22. ↑ "54 окремий розвідувальний батальйон". Main Directorate of Intelligence (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  23. ↑ "74 окремий розвідувальний батальйон". Main Directorate of Intelligence (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  24. ↑ "Воїни ЗСУ завершують навчання з БПЛА Poseidon H10 i H6: на що здатні кіпрські "пташки"". ФОКУС (in Ukrainian). 3 September 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  25. ↑ "130 окремий розвідувальний батальйон". Main Directorate of Intelligence (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  26. ↑ "131 окремий розвідувальний батальйон". Main Directorate of Intelligence (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  27. ↑ "Міністерство оборони вирішило переселити розвідбат десантників з Озерного в Житомир". www.zhitomir.info (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  28. ↑ "Вірні завжди". Main Directorate of Intelligence (in Ukrainian). 22 December 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  29. ↑ Hulevata, Tetyana (27 June 2022). "Український спецназ працює на території росії: що дізналися західні ЗМІ". Telegraf (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  30. ↑ Tucker, Maxim (26 June 2022). "'Shaman' special forces take the fight across the border into Russia". The Times. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  31. ↑ Kunkle, Fredrick (3 June 2022). "Ukraine's volunteer 'Kraken' unit takes the fight to the Russians". The Washington Post. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  32. ↑ Kasumova, Roksana (30 August 2023). "Defence Intelligence special unit commander reveals details of operations on the Black Sea". Ukrainska Pravda. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  33. ↑ Albul, Sergiy (4 July 2024). "Сили оборони відійшли із мікрорайону "Канал" у Часовому Яру, – ОСУВ "Хортиця" (фото)". Left Bank. Archived from the original on 7 October 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
  34. ↑ Kravets, Roman (13 February 2024). "Керівник спецпідрозділу ГУР Тимур: Коли Буданов виходить з нами на операції – це стрес, бо завжди великі ризики". Ukrainska Pravda (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  35. ↑ Рейд біля узбережжя Криму та знищення російського Су-30СМ: кадри бойової роботи ГУР
  36. ↑ "Пам'яті воїнів-розвідників Непийпива, Святоші, Аполлона й Тарасія" [In memory of scouts Nepiypyva, Svyatoshu, Apollona and Tarasya]. Main Directorate of Intelligence (in Ukrainian). 7 March 2024. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  37. ↑ Загін nobody_we_are у складі спецпідрозділу Тимура ГУР МО України
  38. ↑ "Тренування воїнів групи "Nobody" у складі підрозділу Тимура ГУР МО України". gur.gov.ua. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  39. ↑ "Крим буде українським!" [Crimea will be Ukrainian!]. Main Directorate of Intelligence (in Ukrainian). 4 October 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  40. ↑ ""Кажется, будто падает сам самолет": в ГУР показали кадры боев за Авдеевку и обстрелов города КАБами". nv.ua (in Russian). Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  41. ↑ "Переобладнання пікапу в мобільну майстерню для 8-го окремого батальйону АРАТТА спецпідрозділ ГУР МО". ТВІЙ КРОК (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  42. ↑ "Ми дихаємо в спину Росії скрізь". Інтерв'ю з командиром досі секретного підрозділу ГУР
  43. ↑ "Як працює спецзагін Буданова PARAGON?". aspi.com.ua (in Ukrainian). 2 February 2024. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  44. ↑ "Десант із гелікоптерів ― воїни ГУР нищать загарбників на Харківщині". gur.gov.ua. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  45. ↑ "Тренування розвідників-штурмовиків". Main Directorate of Intelligence (in Ukrainian). 18 December 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  46. ↑ "Побратими називали його незамінним воїном: на війні загинув 23-річний доброволець з Закарпаття". fakty.ua (in Ukrainian). 11 July 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  47. ↑ "Закарпатець Руслан Каганець повідомив про створення спецпідрозділу "Відар" ГУР МО". Анонс Закарпаття - всі новини Закарпатської області та м. Ужгород (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  48. ↑ ""Погляньте, як знищують ворога ці термінатори!": ГУР показало відео роботи спецпідрозділу". The Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (in Ukrainian). 9 January 2024. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  49. ↑ Авіація воєнної розвідки України виконує бойові завдання на передньому краї оборони
  50. ↑ "Спецпідрозділ "Крила" запускає проект створення флотилії FPV дронів" [Special Unit "Wings" Launches Project to Create a Flotilla of FPV Drones]. Main Directorate of Intelligence (in Ukrainian). 20 January 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  51. ↑ "Group 13 Is Hunters for russian Ships". gur.gov.ua. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  52. ↑ Ataman, Joseph; Pleitgen, Frederik; Tarasova-Markina, Daria (5 February 2024). "A Ukrainian pilot outlines how drones powered by jet skis sunk a Russian warship". CNN. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  53. ↑ "International Legion". International Legion of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine. Archived from the original on 18 March 2024. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  54. 1 2 "Ronin Team". Instagram. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  55. ↑ "Tactical Group Athena". Telegram. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  56. ↑ "Solidarity. Special Unit of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine. Official website" (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  57. ↑ "Ukrainian Special Forces Target Russian Military Facility in Syria". UNITED24 Media. 16 September 2024. Retrieved 2 May 2026.
  58. ↑ "Нормативно-правова база діяльності". Main Directorate of intelligence (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  59. ↑ "Poroshenko appointed head of intelligence of the MOU Kondratyuk, Deputy head of the AP". Ukrop News 24. Archived from the original on 26 October 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  60. ↑ President presents new chief of military intel, UNIAN (25 October 2016)
    Poroshenko: New intel chief to give fresh impetus to military intelligence in Ukraine, Interfax-Ukraine (25 October 2016)