Head of the Security Service of Ukraine

The Security Service of Ukraine (Ukrainian: Служба безпеки України, romanized: Sluzhba bezpeky Ukrainy [ˈsluʒbɐ bezˈpɛkɪ ʊkrɐˈjinɪ]; abbreviated as SBU [СБУ] or SSU) is the main internal security agency of the Ukrainian government. Its main duties include counter-intelligence activity and combating organized crime and terrorism. The Constitution of Ukraine defines the SBU as a military formation, and its staff are considered military personnel with ranks. It is subordinated directly under the authority of the president of Ukraine. The SBU also operates its own special forces unit, the Alpha Group. The SBU was created after the Declaration of Independence of Ukraine in 1991, succeeding the Ukrainian branch of the KGB and inheriting much of its personnel, facilities and infrastructure. The a...