Ukraine defends the world
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Gallery of Нeroes

Intelligence Officer of the Ukrainian People’s Republic
Oleksandr Kuzminskyi

Khorunzhyi (Ensign)-General Oleksandr Kuzminskyi headed the Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Ukrainian People’s Republic (UPR) from late 1919 till August 1920, and since 1921 – the Intelligence Department of Guerilla Insurgent Headquarters of the State Center of the UPR in exile.

Oleksandr Kuzminskyi was born on August 30, 1884. He graduated from Tulchyn Ecclesiastical Seminary and Odesa Infantry School; served as Pidporuchyk (Second Lieutenant) in 75th Sevastopol infantry regiment as a part of which he participated in the First World War. In 1917, he finished one course in the Military Academy of the General Staff. His last rank in Tsar’s Army was Captain.

Since December 1917, he was the Chief of Headquarters of 64th Ukrainian division. Then, he was in reserve of starshynas (officers) of the General Staff of the Central Council’s Forces, Junior Adjutant of Headquarters of 2nd Podilskyi Corps of the UPR’s Army, Ober-Starshyna (Head-Sergeant Major) for assignments of Headquarters of Serdiuk’s division, Shtab-Starshyna (Staff-Sergeant Major) of Operational Department of the Directorate’s Forces.

Since 1919 Oleksandr Kuzminskyi headed the Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the UPR.

In 1921, governing body of intelligence activities of Guerilla Insurgent Headquarters was 2nd Department (headed by him), which included three sections: intelligence, counterintelligence and press section.

The Intelligence Section conducted human intelligence activity, selected and trained intelligence personnel as well as prepared documents for legal activity in Ukrainian SSR. Besides, it was a peculiar information and analytical center which processed information, obtained by different ways.

During preparations for the Second Winter Campaign, the intelligence had objective information on concentration of Red Army’s military units in the border areas with Poland and on the decline of the insurrectionary movement in Ukrainian SSR.

Amidst emigration, the intelligence activity was aimed at, first of all, obtaining diverse information on deployment of forces of the Red Army in Ukraine, State security bodies of the Ukrainian SSR, stance of national border control, political and economical situation in country. It was reconnoitered the territory of Ukraine as future theater of armed insurrection.

Since late 1921, Oleksandr Kuzminskyi was a chief representative of the Ukrainian Central Committee in Halychyna. In 1939 he moved to Austria. In 1951 he went into exile to Canada. He died in Toronto in 1975.