In accordance with the law, the Security Service of Ukraine has the status of a national special_purpose law enforcement agency which ensures Ukraine's national security. It is also a specially authorized government body in the sphere of counterintelligence activity and the protection of state secrets, as well as the main

agency in the sphere of combating terrorism.

The Security Service of Ukraine is vested, within its competence defined by law, with the protection of national sovereignty, constitutional order, territorial integrity, economical, scientific, technical, and defence potential of Ukraine, legal interests of the state, and civil rights, from intelligence and subversion activities of foreign special services and from unlawful interference attempted by certain organizations, groups and individuals, as well with ensuring the protection of state secrets.

The SSU's objectives also include the prevention, detection, interruption and investigation of crimes against the peace and security of mankind, terrorism, corruption and organized criminal activities in the sphere of management and economy, as well as other unlawful acts immediately threatening Ukraine's vital interests.

Being a specially authorized government body engaged in counterintelligence activities, the SSU pursues the following objectives:

1) gathering, analytical processing, and utilization of information revealing signs or facts of intelligence, terrorist or other activities of foreign special services or other organizations, groups or individuals, detrimental to the national security of Ukraine;

2) counteraction to intelligence, terrorist and other activities of foreign special services, as well as organizations, separate groups and individuals, detrimental to the national security of Ukraine;

3) development and implementation of measures aimed at preventing, eliminating and neutralizing threats to the interests of the state, the society, and citizens' rights.

Counterintelligence has always been and remains SSU's mainstream activity. The SSU does not employ the principle of "total" counterintelligence search. Differentiated approach to the organization of counteraction to specific foreign special services is being introduced instead.

The Security Service engages in information analysis in order to assist the Ukrainian government in its implementation of foreign and domestic policy aimed at developing the state, strengthening its defensive and economic potential, extending international cooperation. The information and analytical support for Ukrainian supreme and local authorities is one of the SSU's priority areas. Estimates, proposals and forecasts prepared by the SSU's analysts became an essential component of the system of information and analytical support for state decisions, as well as the basis of the departmental system of detection of and counteraction to internal and external threats to national security.

Security Service employees focus their efforts on the protection of the most vulnerable aspects of society, one of which is national economy. Therefore, the establishment of the Department for National Economy Counterintelligence Protection within the structure of the SSU was a logical consequence of the above. Within the SSU system, this department was assigned the primary role in developing the strategy and tactics for the protection of national economic interests, detecting and interrupting economic crimes.

The Service also performs the task related to the protection of Ukrainian diplomatic missions abroad (in particular, in Iraq).

Since its earliest days, the SSU attached top priority to the fight against terrorism. In many of the world's countries this problem rose to the fore. It is due to preventive and precautionary measures taken that Ukraine has so far faced no large-scale and serious manifestations of classical terrorism.

In addition, a new area of the activities of Ukrainian law enforcement agencies _ ensuring the safety of participants in criminal proceedings — has been formalized in legislation. Within the Security Service of Ukraine, such issues are dealt with by the department for the fight against terrorism and the protection of participants in criminal proceedings and law enforcement personnel.

Special units involved in the fight against corruption and organized crime pursue the objective of enhancing their performance efficiency, especially with regard to their counteraction to long-standing groups committing crimes at interregional and international levels.

In the context of this objective, the SSU has launched and is carrying out active counterdrug operations which are particularly aimed at detecting and neutralizing interregional and transnational drug trafficking groups, channels used for the delivery of drugs and narcotic raw materials to Ukraine and for their transit through its territory.

To ensure the success of such operations, close contacts with Interpol, foreign law enforcement agencies and special services have been established. In view of the global nature of such problems, certain issues are solved at present in cooperation with foreign special services. For example, the SSU has established active cooperation in this sphere with special services and law enforcement agencies from more than 60 countries worldwide, above all from the USA, Germany, Great Britain, and Russia. In cooperation with its foreign partners, the Security Service of Ukraine has seized 285 kg of heroin in the past six months — more than all Ukrainian law enforcement agencies during the previous 15 years.