Ukraine to Develop Foreign Intelligence Service Combat Units for Operations Abroad

Ukraine will develop units of the Foreign Intelligence Service (FIS) to carry out combat and asymmetric operations necessary to protect the country’s interests abroad.

This was announced by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a speech on Foreign Intelligence Day.

During his speech, the president thanked the intelligence officers for their service, in particular for obtaining important information, in-depth analysis, as well as for the combat work and “deep strikes” carried out by the forces of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine.

“It is extremely important that you, undoubtedly in difficult conditions and in a situation where Russia has significantly more resources and money for intelligence activities, work in such a way that we in Ukraine can be proud of you, that we can maintain a high level, often outplay the aggressor, outplay Russia,” he said.

At the same time, the president stressed that the potential of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine is much greater. According to him, Ukraine needs a special, strong “intelligence unit” that can operate abroad in such a way “that it is comparable to the best combat foreign intelligence services in the world.”

The president named foreign operations as a prospect for future development — “not just operations of influence, not just for obtaining data, and not just for recruiting agents, but combat and other asymmetric operations” necessary to protect Ukraine’s interests.

“This is the potential you have, and I thank you for it and for your development during the war. We will continue to develop our foreign intelligence and count on the continuation of your special operations, your deep strikes, your work to obtain the information Ukraine needs,” Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Foreign Intelligence Service in the war against Russia

Due to the specific nature of their tasks, very little is publicly known about the activities of the Foreign Intelligence Service units — it is one of the least public special services in Ukraine.

According to separate information, the agency’s employees have been involved in separate operations in eastern Ukraine since the beginning of the war in 2014. In May 2025, it was reported that the Foreign Intelligence Service had formed several combat units and technical intelligence groups specifically to participate in combat operations on the front lines.

After the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, the Foreign Intelligence Service was involved in exposing Russian agent networks in Ukraine and abroad.

In addition, it is known that the agency’s operatives participated in special operations behind enemy lines, as confirmed by the president’s mention of the service’s role in eliminating senior Russian military commanders.

In wartime, the distinction between foreign and military intelligence has been significantly reduced due to active efforts to counter Russian aggression.

“Everything is logical here. There is one priority — Russia and those who help it. We have two main areas of focus. The first is to provide the President of Ukraine with intelligence on Russia’s domestic and foreign policy, its plans and intentions, how stable Russia is economically, what its finances and military-industrial complex are like, and what our enemy’s potential is for waging war.

The second area is the collection and analysis of intelligence to support our defense forces. We must provide a clear answer as to how many tanks, artillery systems, and ammunition the enemy manufactures and supplies to its troops, what its technological and component dependence on foreign countries is, what schemes it uses to supply critical raw materials, and what we can do to hinder the enemy. Here, indeed, the tasks are similar to those of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine,” said Oleg Ivashchenko, then head of the SBU, in May 2025.