State Security Committee (KGB)
Jurisdiction and Entity Clarification
The State Security Committee (KGB) referenced is the national security and intelligence service of the Republic of Belarus, not a Russian organization. In the Russian Federation, the Soviet-era KGB was dissolved in 1991 and succeeded by agencies such as the FSB (internal security) and SVR (foreign intelligence). The address provided—17 Prospekt Nezavisimosti (Independence Avenue), Minsk—corresponds to the headquarters of the Belarusian KGB.
Headquarters Location
Headquarters: 17 Prospekt Nezavisimosti (Independence Avenue), Minsk, Belarus. This location is publicly listed in Belarusian official sources and widely referenced in open-source materials. The site is situated in central Minsk in proximity to major government and administrative buildings. No additional internal site details or protective measures are disclosed in public sources.
Leadership Confirmation
Lieutenant General Ivan Stanislavovich Tertel has served as Chairman of the KGB of Belarus since 3 September 2020, by presidential appointment. Open-source and official references continued to list him in this role through at least October 2024. No credible public reporting identified a subsequent change in leadership within that timeframe.
Organizational Functions
The Belarusian KGB’s publicly described mandates include counterintelligence, foreign intelligence, counterterrorism, protection of state secrets and licensing, investigative functions within its statutory remit, and operational-search activities under Belarusian law. Detailed internal structure, specific unit designations, and operational tasking are not published.
Assessment of the Designation “military unit 1044”
There is no authoritative open-source confirmation that a Belarusian KGB subunit designated as “military unit 1044” (or “unit 1044”) exists. Belarusian security institutions (e.g., Ministry of Defense, Internal Troops, Border Guard) often use numeric “military unit” identifiers, but the KGB does not publicly disclose internal unit numbers. In the absence of verifiable official documents, reputable investigative reporting, procurement records, or legal notices, the existence and attributes of a KGB “unit 1044” cannot be substantiated.
Assessment of SIGINT/Direction-Finding Attribution
Open-source materials do not credibly attribute signals intelligence (SIGINT) or radio direction-finding responsibilities to a KGB unit designated “1044.” In Belarus, tactical radio-technical reconnaissance and electronic warfare functions are publicly associated primarily with Ministry of Defense formations. The KGB has statutory authorities for intelligence, counterintelligence, and operational-search activities that can include lawful intercept under national legislation, but specific KGB technical units or their designations are not publicly identified. Without corroborating documentation, assigning a SIGINT/DF mission to a KGB “unit 1044” is not supportable.
Known KGB Operational Components (Publicly Acknowledged)
Publicly acknowledged components include the KGB special operations group “Alpha” (Group A) and territorial directorates at the oblast level and in Minsk. Core directorates are described in general terms (e.g., counterintelligence, military counterintelligence, state secrets protection and licensing, investigative, and foreign intelligence). Detailed order of battle, subunit numbering, facility lists, and technical unit roles remain undisclosed in public sources.
Information Availability and Classification
Internal unit identifiers, detailed organizational charts, and mission-specific tasking for Belarusian KGB subunits are not publicly released and are generally classified. Any claims regarding specific KGB unit numbers or specialized roles that lack support from official publications or credible, well-sourced investigations should be treated as unverified.
Confidence Assessment
High confidence in the identification of the organization (Belarusian KGB), the headquarters location at 17 Prospekt Nezavisimosti in Minsk, and the leadership attribution to Lieutenant General Ivan Tertel (appointed 3 September 2020), based on official and mainstream open sources. Low confidence regarding the existence and role of a KGB “military unit 1044” due to the absence of authoritative open-source corroboration.