December 5, 2017

04.12.2017 The presentation of Victor Hvozd's book “Ukraine's Military Intelligence at the Turn of the Third Millennium”

December 4, at the “Ukrinform” agency, was the presentation of President of the Independent Center for Geopolitical Studies “Borysfen Intel” Victor Hvozd's book “Ukraine's Military Intelligence at the Turn of the Third Millennium”.

 

Presentation of the Victor Hvozd's book “Ukraine's Military Intelligence at the Turn of the Third Millennium”

The author Victor Hvozd presented his book “Ukraine's Military Intelligence at the Turn of the Third Millennium”, which has just appeared in print, on the eve of the next anniversary of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, having invited to the event his colleagues and like-minded people, with whom he used to serve in important public posts. Among them were military intelligence officers, diplomats, high-ranking military and civil servants, Members of Parliament, media representatives, that is, those who not by hearsay know of the military intelligence's important role for the state, especially when Ukraine is in a tense armed struggle with the aggressor. It is clear that this in one way or another sounded in the speeches of the present at the event.

— I did not set myself the task to tell about some specific tasks that the military intelligence agents had to fulfill, or to disclose the true nature of some actions that had so-called social, especially negative resonance, — said the author of the book in his opening speech, — because I think that now we have to tell the society about the conditions in which our Military Intelligence was created, about the people who understood its true task and worked hard on its creation, about the events that accompanied that process. It is equally important to inform the public that our Military Intelligence has its own interesting history, which Ukrainians were created, for example, a century ago, during the UPR or WUPR. That is, the Military Intelligence is an important state element or structure, the significance of which today, unfortunately, is understood not by all. Including at high state levels. And this is unacceptable.

“Ukraine's Military Intelligence at the Turn of the Third Millennium” The author Victor Hvozd

The book you are holding in your hands is no memoirs, it is sooner a retrospective study of the processes of the creation, formation, coming into being, development and functioning of the Military Intelligence for the first 26 years of Ukraine's independence. It is an attempt to show the Military Intelligence's place and role in building a modern Ukrainian state against the background of the geopolitical challenges at the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century.

Oleksandr Skipalskyi

Victor Hvozd was supported by the retired Lieutenant-General Oleksandr Skipalskyi, who had an honorable and important mission together with few like-minded people to create the Military Intelligence from the moment of Ukraine's declaration of its independence and to be its first Chief.

— At that time, there were “patriots” that denied the necessity of our structure, — said Oleksandr Skipalskyi to those present, — believing that all information would be provided by the Russian GRU. But we, who had military experience, were well aware: we had to be prepared to Russia's encroaches on our freedom, as it would not easily agree to Ukraine's statehood. They therefore insisted on the creation of a strategic component of our Military Intelligence, on the training of our national professionals — intelligence officers. At this, we took into consideration the national question, did not give preference to representatives of this or that nation, emphasizing the loyalty of the servicemen to the young Ukrainian state, and, as life shows, that approach was very correct.

Yuriy Yekhanurov, looking through the pages of the book, recalled how he, being the Head of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, would receive official reports from the Head of the Military Intelligence Victor Hvozd. Particularly important was the moment when a war began against Georgia and it was necessary for Ukraine to take precautionary measures in our southern regions, in particular, in the Crimea. According to the former Defense Minister, our intelligence officers then acted very well, confirming their professionalism.

Adding to his former colleague in the government speech, Volodymyr Ohryzko (Foreign Minister in 2007–2009) pointed out that the jobs of a diplomat and of an intelligence officer have common features, as they submit objective information to the state leadership for the state decision-making. It will be interesting to read about this particular aspect in the book. He also thanked the author of the book, which in this way reminds us of those of our true patriots who stood at the origins of the creation of our state.

Yuriy Yekhanurov Volodymyr Ohryzko Anatoly Lopata

The present at the event first Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Colonel-General (retired) Anatoly Lopata, veterans of the Military Intelligence Lieutenant-Generals (retired) Vasyl Kushchov and Volodymyr Lehominov also agreed with him. They are also directly related to the creation of the Military Intelligence, to the diligent professional training of its officers, as described by Victor Hvozd on many pages of his book. And it is worth mentioning that Volodymyr Lehominov, as Head of the Union of Veterans of the Intelligence of Ukraine, handed him the honorary award of this public organization and expressed the wish that this book be the first in a number of many which will tell about the military intelligence officers' true service for the benefit of our country.

Video of the presentation of the book:

Relevant materials:

Victor Hvozd's book “Ukraine's Military Intelligence at the Turn of the Third Millennium” — about the book

President of “Borysfen Intel” Victor Hvozd on the “Radio Liberty”

The presentation of the book at the National Academy of Public Administration

The presentation of the book at the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine

“Ukraine's Military Intelligence at the Turn of the Third Millennium” at the Publishers Forum in Lviv

Victor Hvozd's book “Ukraine's Military Intelligence at the Turn of the Third Millennium” — how to buy the book