September 7 is a professional holiday of military intelligence officers of Ukraine, which is not nationwide, but has a departmental character – Military Intelligence Day of Ukraine. The purpose of this day is to demonstrate to the public the special importance of military intelligence. After all, it depends on it at what level national state interests will be located and protected. This day has acquired special significance in the realities of today, when our country is de facto in a state of military conflict with the Russian Federation. Only thanks to effective intelligence, which will provide reliable intelligence data, it is possible to make quality forecasts and make important decisions in the field of national security of our country.
How did the idea to celebrate the Day of Military Intelligence of Ukraine come about?
The Day of Military Intelligence of Ukraine was implemented in the summer of 2007 according to a special Order of the Minister of Defense of our country. And the Decree “On the management of military intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine” was issued on September 7, 1992. The intelligence department became a strategic part of the Ministry of Defense. In general, the history of military intelligence in Ukraine was quite long.
Peculiarities of military intelligence in Zaporizhzhya Sich
Historians claim that in the era of Khmelnytskyi there was quite effective military intelligence, which was considered the most developed in all of Europe. However, there is no mention of the existence of an intelligence agency in the documents of the Zaporizhia Sich of that time.
The existence of intelligence is evidenced by written documents that have survived from Cossack times. These are the records of ordinary military personnel who talked about the intelligence tasks, the people who performed them, and also about the development of strategic decisions based on the data obtained as a result of intelligence. Chronicles show that it was not just intelligence, but an organized structure with a complex hierarchy.
Thus, it is believed that the intelligence system in Ukraine was created by Zaporizhzhya Cossacks in the 16th century. Its main task was to oppose the steppe people. Through the efforts of organized intelligence, information was obtained about the location and activity of enemy units long before their appearance.
A unit was created in the structure, which was responsible for intelligence tasks, ensuring complete confidentiality of the information obtained. Thus, intelligence was conducted at a really high level, when all information was kept in maximum secrecy. The leadership of intelligence was united in a separate Council of Elders. Ultra-complicated intelligence operations were carried out by plastuns from Plastovo Kurenyu. They were engaged in reconnaissance behind enemy lines.
Military intelligence in the Ukrainian People’s Republic
In 1917, the Ukrainian People’s Republic was proclaimed, which necessitated the formation of military structures. And in order to qualitatively assess the political and military situation around the country and make effective decisions, it was necessary to create an intelligence system with a carefully thought-out structure.
The intelligence of that time faced a number of strategic tasks:
Operational detection of the behavior of the army of neighboring countries, namely military training for committing aggression.
Observation of the place of deployment of enemy troops.
Finding information about the number, condition and actions of the enemy’s army.
Carrying out sabotage and reconnaissance activities, disabling engineering structures and equipment of the enemy.
A study of the morale of the enemy troops, as well as of the civilian population living in the places where hostilities will take place.
The head of intelligence was the Chairman of the Council of People’s Ministers of the Ukrainian People’s Republic, and the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Chief of the General Staff were directly involved in the planning and organization of intelligence activities.
In 1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed, the sovereign state had an urgent need for independent military intelligence, since before that all military structures were subordinated to Moscow. The appearance of military intelligence was directly related to the development of the Armed Forces.
In the winter of 1992, a special intelligence department of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was formed. And 2 years later, the Order of the President of Ukraine was issued on the creation of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Education and Culture. Since then, military intelligence in Ukraine began to develop actively.
What is military intelligence?
The understanding of organized military intelligence in the form in which it looks today appeared in European countries in the 19th century. According to the Efron and Brockhaus dictionary, this term means gathering information about the enemy, his morale, forces, capabilities, and plans. Intelligence work should be carried out constantly, not only during military operations. The task of intelligence in peacetime is to monitor the mood of neighboring countries, to be aware of their political and military intentions. For this purpose, a secret military agency is being created, which is introduced into strategically important units of neighboring states.
During military operations, intelligence officers find information using a variety of sources:
Secret spies.
Prisoners
Cooperation with the local population.
Reconnaissance is a survey of the territory in order to determine the ways of deploying the army, military equipment or to plan the future actions of the troops.
Congratulations on the Day of Military Intelligence of Ukraine
On September 7, it is customary to welcome servicemen of the military intelligence of our country. We offer you interesting greetings in verse and prose.
Розвіднику військовий – сьогодні твоє свято!
Твоя робота – важлива та надзвичайно складна.
Сьогодні уся країна спішить тебе привітати,
Побажати тобі миру та добра.
Нехай поряд завжди будуть хороші та вірні друзі
Достаток, щастя та успіх наповнюють життя.
Здоров’я міцного бажаємо, щоб зникли всі недуги
Щоб щастям і теплом зігрівала сім’я.
Щирі та сердечні прийміть від нас вітання,
Розвідники військові, ми дякуємо вам!
За те, що небезпечну професію обрали
Та ради України ризикуєте життям.
Шановні військові розвідники, з нагоди Дня воєнної розвідки України щиро вітаємо вас з вашим професійним святом. Бажаємо вам наснаги в роботі, щоб ви і надалі гідно виконували своє завдання та щоб ваша країна пишалася своїми героями.
Мирного неба над головою, високих досягнень в роботі, підвищення по кар’єрних сходинках, удачі в нелегкій справі, тепла та любові від близьких і рідних. Всього цього бажаємо вам наші високошановні працівники воєнної розвідки України.
When will we celebrate the Day of Military Intelligence of Ukraine (Military Intelligence Day)?
