Soviet Military Counterintelligence Agencies in Ukraine during the World War II

Abstract

The article elucidates the issues of the development of the legal status, organizational structure and activities of the Soviet bodies of military counterintelligence in Ukraine in the wartime. It has been revealed that during that period there were changes in the departmental subordination, powers and structure. The USSR communist party leadership adhered to two basic organizational models of the military counterintelligence agencies. The first model envisaged the subordination of military counterintelligence bodies to the agencies whose security they provided. The second model maintained the integrity of civilian and military counterintelligence. Changes in the powers and structure of the military counterintelligence bodies were stipulated by the needs of wartime. The main activities of those agencies were focused on the fight against the Nazi agents, «anti-Soviet, hostile elements», revealing the facts of desertion in the troops and paramilitary units, carrying out supervision and verification of servicemen who were in captivity, maintaining proper level of military discipline, order and moral and psychological climate in military units. These powers were exercised by the Soviet bodies of military counterintelligence with violation of the general principles of law, fundamental human and civil rights and freedoms.