European Intelligence Services Ranking: From Ukraine to Mossad

French magazine L'Express has compiled the first-ever ranking of European intelligence services based on assessments by 60 agents from 25 organizations. The top three are MI6 (251 points), DGSE (169), and AIVD (97). Ukrainian SBU/HUR took fourth place (77), Germany fifth (62). Israel was represented by former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen.

French weekly L'Express published on August 10 the first ranking of its kind of European intelligence services, based on assessments that agents gave each other. 60 agents from 25 intelligence organizations, former and current, told which parallel organizations they value most and with whom they prefer not to cooperate. Israel, which was not directly assessed in the survey, was represented by former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen, who agreed to speak under his own name. In an exclusive interview with Ynet, the weekly's deputy editor Etienne Girard explained that the significance of each organization was assessed in three categories: 'moles' and penetration into centers of power; elimination and sabotage operations (e.g., the pager operation and the Ukrainian operation 'Web'); information gathering, cyber operations, and control over encrypted communications. The top three included the intelligence services of the UK (MI6, 251 points), France (DGSE, 169), and the Netherlands (AIVD, 97). In fourth place is Ukraine (SBU/HUR, 77), in fifth Germany (BND, 62). The British are strong in recruiting 'moles', the French have almost global coverage, the Dutch are cybersecurity experts. Ukrainians are praised for the 'Mossadization' of intelligence. Germany is criticized for passivity, although its service could track Air Force One.