Defence Intelligence of Ukraine is an effective and relatively young intelligence agency, built essentially from the ground up after the country regained independence.
Major General Illia Pavlenko, former Deputy Chief of Ukraine's Defence Intelligence, stated this in an interview with Jenny Klochko for the podcast Ukrainian Jenny Meets...
"DIU started from scratch. We reached out to our Western partners for assistance. This cooperation has grown; we exchanged experiences. They taught us, and now we can teach them," Pavlenko noted.
He also shared accounts of Ukraine's early resistance to moscow in the 1990s and 2000s, including kremlin-orchestrated scenarios such as the attempted seizure of Tuzla Spit. Since the onset of open aggression in 2014 and again in 2022, Ukrainian intelligence, including DIU, has joined the fight alongside the nation's security and defense forces, impressing the world with bold combat and special operations.
"Our intelligence services are made up of remarkable individuals: intellectuals, charismatic and empathetic people, well-educated. All of these qualities matter, but our people are highly motivated to defend Ukraine," Pavlenko emphasized.
He went on to describe the methods employed by russian intelligence services.
"Their core mission is to infiltrate political circles, particularly targeting personnel and agent networks of foreign intelligence agencies. While the fsb is technically an internal agency, it also engages in active measures. They have access to foreigners entering russia and can do virtually anything for them — check phones, create recruitment conditions, and more," he explained.
Russian military intelligence (GRU) focuses on studying foreign militaries, weapons systems, and strategic sites. GRU operatives often use elaborate disguises — like forming biker clubs to cover their tracks.
"They ride through Europe as part of a 200-person convoy. Then, a few disappeared, and when their movements were tracked, it turned out that they had stopped near a NATO site — classified as strategically important. Satellites are one thing, but being there in person and taking photos is another — that's GRU work," Pavlenko described.
GRU also operates in Africa, leveraging mercenaries from so-called "private military companies" to expand Kremlin influence. Foreign political intelligence falls under the purview of the SVR (russia's Foreign Intelligence Service), which employs tactics such as opening restaurants in target capitals to lure diplomats and other influential figures.
"When it comes to political intelligence — intellectuals, sociologists, political consultants involved in elections — that's more SVR. Covert work under various covers," he added.
Watch and listen to more exclusive insights from Illia Pavlenko: