A memorial has been unveiled on the Alley of Defenders – a space dedicated to the Ukrainian Defence Forces – in honour of SSU officers who are contributing to Ukraine’s heroic struggle against russian occupiers. The memorial is located in Kyiv, beneath the Arch of Freedom of the Ukrainian People.

‘Freedom is not given for free. It must be constantly fought for and defended. The Security Service of Ukraine, together with other components of the Defence Forces, has been repelling the enemy since the first days of the war. We are holding our ground, launching counterattacks, and are ready to defend the country for as long as necessary. SSU servicemen are destroying the invaders on the front lines on an industrial scale, turning their ‘wunderwaffe’ equipment into tons of scrap metal, while long-range strikes are devastating the enemy’s military and economic potential,’ noted Major General Yevheniy Khmara, Acting Head of the Security Service of Ukraine, during the unveiling ceremony for the memorial plaque.

He also added that, alongside combat operations on the front lines, the SSU is fighting the internal enemy 24/7 and preventing the russians from destabilising the country from within.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion, the SSU Counterintelligence has exposed 141 agent networks, and since 2025, the Service has prevented 195 crimes involving explosives.

The Acting Head of the Security Service separately thanked the Cultural Forces for the initiative to create the Alley of Defenders and noted the importance of preserving the memory of every serviceman who died fighting the enemy.

The SSU’s commemorative plaque became twenty-second on the Alley of Defenders, established on the initiative of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Cultural Forces platform. The Alley honours the contribution of various branches and types of troops to the fight against russian aggression.

The plaque features an engraved, colourless sword – a symbol of quiet, large-scale, and precise work – and a cotton flower stylized to resemble an explosion. It symbolises the SSU’s unique special operations, during which ‘mysterious blasts’ occur at enemy targets, a motif that has long been the Service’s hallmark.