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THE FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE ROLE

OF THE

COMMITTEE FOR STATE SECURITY

The KGB played an important role in furthering Soviet foreign policy objectives abroad. Inaddition to straightforward intelligence collection and counterintelligence, the KGBparticipated in the Kremlin's program of active measures. KGB officials also contributed to

foreign policy decision making.

Organization

The First Chief Directorate of the KGB was responsible for KGB operations abroad. The

longtime head of the First Chief Directorate, Vladimir Kriuchkov, who had served underAndropov and his successors, was named head of the KGB in 1988.

The Second Chief Directorate also played a role in foreign intelligence in 1989. It recruitedagents for intelligence purposes from among foreigners stationed in the Soviet Union, and

it engaged in counterintelligence by uncovering attempts of foreign intelligence services torecruit Soviet citizens.

First Chief Directorate

The First Chief Directorate was responsible for all international Soviet clandestine

activities, apart from military intelligence collection by the GRU and political initiatives ofthe Communist Party itself.

Illegals Directorate (Directorate S)

Directorate S recruited, trained, and managed KGB officers assigned to foreign countries

under false identities. Most of the staff of the Directorate have either served as illegals, or

have served abroad under diplomatic cover.

Scientific and Technical Directorate ( Directorate T )

Directorate T was created from the former Department 10 in 1963 to intensify the

acquisition of Western strategic, military and industrial technology. By 1972 Directorate T

had a headquarters staff of several hundred officers subdivided into four Departments inaddition to specialists stationed at major Soviet embassies around the world. The

Directorate's operations were coordinated with the scientific and technical collection

activities of other KGB elements, and with the the State Scientific and TechnicalCommittee ( GNTK ).

Planning and Analysis Directorate (Directorate I)

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Directorate I was established in 1969 to review past operations as a guide to improving

future initiatives, although in practice it was said to function more as a dumping-ground for

aging or inept officers.

Information Service (Special Service I)

Special Service I was responsible for the correlation and dissemination of routine

intelligence collected by the First Chief Directorate, apart from technical intelligence

collected and processed by Directorate T. Other related responsibilities includedpublication of a weekly intelligence summary for Party leaders, briefing officers prior to

foreign assignment, conducting special studies at Central Committee direction. The

products of the Information Service did not consist of finished estimative intelligence, butrather of raw reports that were provided to senior leaders who drew their own conclusions.

Counterintelligence Service ( Special Service II)

Special Service II was tasked countering foreign intelligence agencies, includingpenetrating foreign security, intelligence and counter-intelligence services to undermine

their effectiveness in countering the activities of the KGB. Special Service II was alsoresponsible for the security officers tasked with monitoring Soviet civilians stationed

abroad, including Soviet nationals working as correspondents, trade representatives,

Aeroflot clerks, or any other capacity.

Disinformation Department (Department A)

Department A was responsible for clandestine initiatives and campaigns to influence

foreign governments and publics, as well to shape perceptions of individuals and groups

hostile to Soviet interests. The majority of the Departments activities were implemented byother KGB elements, or other Soviet organizations.

Executive Action Department (Department V)

Department V was responsible for "wet affairs" (mokrie dela) -- murders, kidnappings, and

sabotage -- which involve bloodshed. Previously known as the Thirteenth Department or

Line F, the Department was enlarged and redesignated in 1969, and tasked with sabotagingcritical infrastructure so as to immobilize Western countries during future crises. The

Department employed officers stationed in Soviet embassies, illegals stationed abroad, and

the services of professional.

Geographic Departments

The operational core of the First Chief Directorate lay in its geographical departments[numbering ten in the early 1970s and growing to eleven by the late 1980s]. The

geographic Departments were responsible for the majority of the KGB enterprises abroad.

The duties of this department included the staff of KGB "legal" Residencies [rezidenty] in

Soviet embassies, operating under legal cover while engaged in intelligence collection,

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espionage, and active measures, as well as KGB illegals [apart from those operating under

assignment from the Executive Action and Disinformation Departments]. They also

managed operations initiated through international communist-front organizations, as wellas other agent of influence operations.

1st Department