One hundred fourteen cadets of the National Academy of the Security Service of Ukraine took the Military Oath of Allegiance to the Ukrainian people today in Kyiv.

‘You are joining a team of true professionals, and your task is to take over all our advanced achievements and multiply them! Each of you faces many challenges ahead. I wish you to overcome them with honour and dignity. Always remember your Oath and duty,’ said Deputy Head of the Security Service Brigadier General Serhiy Naumiuk in his address to the cadets.

He also noted that SSU personnel are actively involved in combat operations, countering enemy agents, and conducting unique special operations behind enemy lines.

‘One of the best examples is Operation Spider Web, as well as the Crimean Bridge, which the Service has struck three times. At the SSU Academy, cadets will acquire all the necessary skills and knowledge to carry out equally high-profile and effective special operations in the future,’ Serhiy Naumiuk added.

The Rector of the SSU Academy, Andriy Cherniak, also congratulated the young recruits on the start of their military career: ‘You have passed a difficult selection process, proving your strong motivation to become defenders of Ukraine. Our main mission is to provide you with the best training for your future tasks. Serve your Homeland faithfully and loyally!’

Following a tradition established at the SSU Academy in 2014, each year’s class is named after deceased SSU officers. This year’s course will be named after Major of the SSU Special Operations Center ‘A’ Oleksandr Krykunenko, a Hero of Ukraine, who began defending the country at the start of the Anti-Terrorist Operation. During the full-scale war, he liberated Kyiv and Kharkiv regions, and in May 2022 Oleksandr was killed during an operation on Zmiinyi Island.

At the ceremony, participants observed a minute of silence to honour the memory of soldiers who gave their lives defending Ukraine.

‘You have chosen to devote yourselves to military service during the most difficult time for our state. This commands respect and admiration. Be brave and fearless. Defend the citizens and the state. Remain worthy of our ancestors, who defended this land without hesitation for centuries,’ the SSU Deputy Head summed up in his address to the cadets.