Thread by @ChristopherJM

Ukraine's scandal-prone state security service, the SBU, has earned a reputation as one of the country's most corrupt institutions and proven thus far to be immune to reform. Is Ukraine’s newly elected President Zelenskiy up to the task? My story: rferl.org/a/ukraine-zele… v @RFERL

@RFERL How successful Zelenskiy is in cleaning up the SBU will be a litmus test of his office's resolve to bring Ukraine more into line with Western democracies. On the other hand, failure to reform it could hobble wider efforts to curb corruption & econ crime. rferl.org/a/ukraine-zele…

"Now there's a real opportunity to reform [Ukraine's security service]," says Ambo William Taylor, current charge d'affaires @USEmbassyKyiv. Insight also from @MarkGaleotti @AndyHunder @ANTAC_ua's Tania Shevchuk @JohnEdHerbst @PA3yMKOB's Oleksiy Melnyk rferl.org/a/ukraine-zele…

@USEmbassyKyiv @MarkGaleotti @AndyHunder @ANTAC_ua @JohnEdHerbst @PA3yMKOB You'll remember Ukraine's security service from the time last year when it faked the murder of Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko to expose what it claimed was a team of hitmen allegedly hired by Moscow to destabilize Ukraine. It didn't go over so well. rferl.org/a/lavrov-rejec…

With 30,000+ employees, the SBU is more than seven times the size of the U.K.'s MI5, and more than four times the size of Israel's Mossad. Besides performing the intel roles, the SBU's also responsible for combating economic crimes and corruption. That's become a big problem.

Ihor Smeshko, SBU head from 2003-2005, told me the agency is "the most powerful institution in the country." Over the years, abuse of its power — including accusations of blackmail, corruption, arms trafficking, secret jails, torture, FSB links — has cast a shadow over the SBU.

So why wasn't it been reformed? "Ukraine has used the war as an excuse to not reform the SBU," said @MarkGaleotti. Critics also said ex-president @poroshenko lacked the political will to reform the agency b/c he didn't want to relinquish control of it as he fought for reelection

@MarkGaleotti @poroshenko SBU agents have for years abused their sweeping powers to enrich themselves. Directorate K, its economic crimes unit formed in the turbulent privatization era of the 1990s, is notorious for corruption and abusing its power. As one expert put it, "they can do whatever they want."

.@AndyHunder of @ChamberUkraine, says Directorate K's activities have scared away potential investors. He's met with Zelenskiy's team to encourage them to reform the SBU, warn them that "maski shows" (raids by armed, masked agents) would hobble Ukraine's ability to attract biz.

@MarkGaleotti @poroshenko This thread could go on... but I'll leave you instead with a tease of what else is in the piece & link: more on the SBU's corrupt nature, including lavish lifestyles of its agents; the SBU's infiltration by Russian spies; recommendations for reforming it. rferl.org/a/ukraine-zele…

@MarkGaleotti @poroshenko Oh, and this good quote: