#17 - RW 265
Izvestia
July 17, 2003
VALENTIN KORABELNIKOV: SMART AND WELL-TRAINED PEOPLE WORK WITH US
An interview with the chief of Russian military intelligence
Author: Svetlana Babaeva
[from WPS Monitoring Agency, www.wps.ru/e_index.html]

RUSSIAN MILITARY INTELLIGENCE HAS RECONSIDERED ITS TASKS SINCE THE BREAK-UP OF THE USSR, BUT ONLY TO THE EXTENT REQUIRED BY THE NEW SITUATION AND NEW CHALLENGES AROUND THE WORLD. THIS AGENCY IS STILL EFFECTIVE AND DETERMINED TO UPHOLD RUSSIAN NATIONAL SECURITY INTERESTS.

Valentin Vladimirovich Korabelnikov, in a uniform with four stars on the shoulders (recently he was promoted to rank of army general), rose from a table placed under three coats of arms - those of Russia, the Armed Forces, and the Administration (GRU) itself. He smiled as if being interviewed was a usual and pleasant event to him. However, his talk with us was the first interview he has given since being appointed GRU chief in 1997.

Question: The GRU is one of the most secret Russian intelligence agencies. What is it like these days, and what objectives does it primarily address?

Valentin Korabelnikov: The Main Intelligence Administration is a special agency, so it is quite clear that it is secret, like any special agency. The GRU of the General Staff is an agency of foreign intelligence of the Defense Ministry. The key destination is ensuring intelligence for tasks entrusted to the Defense Ministry, the General Staff, and accordingly, the Armed Forces on the whole. The GRU is a single intelligence system that makes comprehensive use of practically all forces and means of intelligence that exist in the world presently. It uses them mainly beyond the Russian Federation and as much as required, from Russian territory.

Question: What do you mean by saying "practically" all means?

Valentin Korabelnikov: What is meant are all known forms, ways, and methods of intelligence. It is particularly characteristic of the GRU, since historically it was formed so that various intelligence activity lines were developed in the military intelligence system, which, exactly, enables us to make comprehensive use of them.

As far as tasks of the military intelligence are concerned. In the narrow meaning, this is combat support of the Armed Forces; in a broader meaning, the military intelligence is a tool of the state's national security system. Intelligence obtains, analyzes, and summarizes intelligence data on the military-political situation developing around Russia, forecasts its development, and reports to the top leadership with the only goal - ensuring this country's national interests in the defense area.

Question: How many are you, intelligence officers, presently?

Valentin Korabelnikov: We are enough to solve these tasks. We have not left remote points of the globe

Question: What are the shares of "militarized" and "intellectual" operations in the GRU presently? And how much this proportion has changed from the Soviet times?

Valentin Korabelnikov: The world is not the same as 20, 30, and 60 years ago. To a significant extent, the conditions, structure, nature, and geography of threats have changed. It is quite clear that this has also required a certain extent of reorganization of those structures that make up the military intelligence and close on the GRU. There is also a new reality - international terrorism. The topic has become one of the most urgent for many states and naturally, for intelligence agencies. In these circumstances, depending on the situation, the proportion of the militarized and the intellectual elements, as you put it, changes. In definite conditions, the intellectual element of intelligence is used; and the militarized one, where required.

Question: How has the geography of your work, your interests, and your presence changed comparing with the Soviet years?

Valentin Korabelnikov: I will try to give a detailed answer, as far as possible. We evaluate to what degree, from what direction, and in what run - short, medium, or long-term - does a threat to Russia's national security is emerging, primarily in the military area. We analyze these materials, summarize them, and report to the chiefs; so proceeding from the conclusion and decision making, military intelligence operation priorities change. If the threat is emerging and becoming distinct enough - regardless at what distance it is - efforts of the military intelligence are corrected. I therefore cannot say we have left remote points of the globe: we must see emerging or possible threats wherever they arise. In this respect, the military intelligence continues to accomplish its tasks as before. And I hope it will in the future, too.

Then open research institutes would be enough to us

Question: Everyone knows presently mainly about one element of the military intelligence, the attack forces that are present in Chechnya. What can you say to protect the rest of your divisions?

Valentin Korabelnikov: The public knows more about the army attack forces because they often turn up on TV screens and in print media. There is probably no need to report as much on work results along other activity lines. The public therefore knows less about these results. But this does not at all mean that what is unknown has no results.

Question: We have come up to the "quieter" lines of GRU work. Say, science and technology intelligence. How you work principles have changed, allowing for the fact that many enterprises are private companies currently? And secondly: what is your service's interest to work "for corporations" when your "boss" is the state?

Valentin Korabelnikov: I would like to grasp on the last word in your question. This world determines everything, we are really a state structure that must know everything that is done in the military area and its different elements - in particular, the military and technology areas and abroad. We must know about the key lines of research and development, samples, etc. Sure enough, we conduct intelligence in this area.

Question: In the last few years, work on the so-called open information has been more and more significant. Many assume that there is a catastrophe along this line in Russia. The FAPSI handled this for a while, but now, after it has been reorganized, no one appears to do that. What does the GRU do about it?

Valentin Korabelnikov: We work on it. To the best of my knowledge, any intelligence agency around the world uses open information. How it is selected, sifted, and used is the prerogative of each special service. I cannot say that work on open information in the GRU system is close to a disaster.

Question: Has the military intelligence felt the reorganization of the FAPSI?

Valentin Korabelnikov: The FAPSI, in accordance with the president's decree, has entered the Federal Security Service (FSB) and part of it to other structures. All this has been done with the only goal - to boost the performance of the intelligence agencies. As for us, issues related to interaction with other intelligence agencies are among priorities for the GRU. There are special nuances here though. Organizing interaction is only required when it is know beforehand: the performance will grow or the task set will be accomplished in a shorter term. If no increase in the performance is expected or the temporal parameters of fulfilling a task are not changed, then probably, there is no sense in organizing interaction along these lines. After all, this is a process that requires definite spending, forces, and focusing assets, including tangible. However, we interacted and interact with the FAPSI, as well as with other structures that have entered the FSB and other agencies.

Question: Does the state spend a lot to support you?

Valentin Korabelnikov: This spending is forced by circumstances. At the beginning I said our military intelligence system was distinguished through making comprehensive use of different forms, ways, and methods. This comprehensive use of different intelligence activity lines - the outer space, technology, etc. - enables spending less than the number of intelligence activity lines is limited. Then one has to make conclusions proceeding from one or two sources, but not a group.

Question: Another topic closed for the public, but causing serious discussions - the agent network. The opinion is quite widespread that the network does not hold any criticism after the break-up of the USSR. The GRU is also often named among those who have lost their agents.

Valentin Korabelnikov: Shortly: this does not meat reality. To expand it: only those can evaluate the performance of the military intelligence who get familiar with files coming from it.

Question: Let us come back to the militarized element of the military intelligence, the attack forces. Tell us about their activities in Chechnya and other spots, in particular in the neighboring states.

Valentin Korabelnikov: The attack forces make an important element of the military intelligence, intended to solve exclusively practical tasks with methods typical for them. There are attack units practically in all military districts; we coordinate their activities and determine the ideology of their development. The assessment of their activities is well-known: while visiting troops of the Siberian military district recently, the president highly valued the attack forces; last week, the defense minister also noted the efficient combat work of the army attack forces. Speaking about Chechnya, attack units are used there to solve tasks in the region where combat operations are conducted, but of course, they have nothing to do with the neighboring states.

Question: A while ago, the number of combat unit men killed in Chechnya was published: over 500. After that, many started to say: the death of this number of elite unit commandos is a nightmare and disgrace to any military intelligence in the world. Its chiefs should resign after that. What do you think about these numbers and views?

Valentin Korabelnikov: The figure does not correspond with reality. The actual casualties are really high, over 300 men. At the same time, it is about all structures of the military intelligence. However, it would not be justified to say that in these circumstances chiefs at all levels should resign. Those familiar with conditions in which units of the Armed Forces carry out their tasks understand how serious all this is and what risks it entails.

Question: What is the personnel situation in the GRU?

Valentin Korabelnikov: This question is nearly at the limit - everything concerning personnel is secret in any intelligence agency. I cannot say we have serious problems recruiting for military intelligence structures. The situation is different in various structures, but military intelligence is staffed quite well on the whole. Recruiting is based on objectives set for a structure, and the priority of its operation in the overall system of military intelligence. Of course, first and foremost we focus our forces in areas on which the total performance of the military intelligence depends the most.

Question: Many major "exposures" have swept the country in the last two years - journalists, physicists, environmentalists. They are charged with espionage, high treason, and so on. Does your agency have a finger in this "exposure pie", and what do you think about these increasingly frequent cases overall?

Valentin Korabelnikov: I would not say that Russia is full of spies. There have always been spies and traitors. As long as there are secrets, there is interest in making a profit by possessing them... The most terrible thing in the state, in its special structures, is treason. One traitor can be followed by a train of actions that will negate all efforts and costs in industry and intellectual and special activities.

(Translated by P. Pikhnovsky)

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