TheSlovenian Intelligence and Security Agency (Slovene:Slovenska obveščevalno-varnostna agencija;SOVA orSova,pronounced[ˈsɔ̀ːʋa];[1] lit.Owl) is the main civilian intelligence service ofSlovenia[2] and as agovernment agency is subordinated directly to thePrime Minister of Slovenia. The mission of SOVA as the central intelligence and security service in the Republic of Slovenia is to provide national security. The agency's headquarters are located atStegne Street inDravlje, northwest ofLjubljana's centre.
SOVA traces its origins to theState Security Service (Slovene:Uprava službe državne varnosti;SDV), which was formed in 1966 when Slovenia was still within Yugoslavia, by renaming as theState Security Administration. On 9 May 1991 the service was renamed as theSecurity and Information Service (Slovene:Varnostno-informativna služba;VIS). Renaming to the current name was performed on 17 June 1993, at which time the agency was transferred from theMinistry of Internal Affairs to theGovernment of Slovenia.[3]
In December 2022, following a tip from foreign intelligence services, SOVA discovered two Russian spies posing as Argentine citizens Maria Rosa Mayer Muños and Ludwik Gisch, whose personas they had been building for over 10 years and who had been using Slovenia as a base for operations in and around the country. After wiretapping and tracking, they discovered that the suspects family and companies were just a front, their real names being Ana Dulceva and Artem Dulcev. In Slovenia, their main target was the European Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators, while abroad they led other agents. An important part of their mission was to reduce public support for NATO and spread Russian narratives and disinformation. The spies were sentenced to prison, after which they were deported and included in an exchange for various individuals imprisoned in Russia. The Dultsevs and their children were flown to Moscow as part of the biggest swap of Western and Russian prisoners since the Cold War. U.S PresidentJoe Biden has publicly commended Slovenia. At the same time, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, SOVA monitored an increase in the number of unusually old Russian "students", eight of whom were later expelled for spreading Russian propaganda and impersonating Slovenian officials.
Before theTen-Day War the then VIS recorded a phone call between a member of the Slovenian PresidencyCiril Zlobec and the Italian consul, during which Zlobec informed the Italian consul of the date of the Slovenian Declaration of Independence.[8]
After Iztok Podbregar was replaced as director by the new government in 2006, a special investigation team under the leadership of the new Minister of JusticeLovro Šturm was formed with the task of reviewing the agency's activities. The investigation found an undocumented black fund, which was used to cover non-traditional cancer treatments for then-PresidentJanez Drnovšek,[8] as well as the purchase of expensive retirement presents, establishment of companies, among other things. The investigation team also revealed that SOVA was wiretapping over 3000 foreign telephone numbers, and was recording telephone conversations between the Slovenian and Croatian Prime Ministers.[8]
In March 2007, the daily newspaperDnevnik exposed SOVA'ssafe house in the centre of Ljubljana, while writing about a visit to it by SOVA's directorMatjaž Šinkovec and the PM's consultantAleksander Lavrih.[9][10] After this the agency's collaboration with the GermanBundesnachrichtendienst regarding telecommunications tapping in the Western Balkans was also exposed.[8]
In September 2011 about 80 photos of formerUDBA agents with retired and current SOVA agents were published on several internet sites; these photos were taken during a picnic, while some agents were drunk and displaying communist symbols.[11] Among them was also Zvonko Hrastar, ex-agent (and husband of state prosecutor Branka Zobec Hrastar), who in 1988 arrestedJanez Janša (future defense and prime minister) and with this started theJBTZ trial.[12]
In March 2012 it was revealed that former director Sebastjan Selan ordered expensive furniture (in excess of €112,000) for his executive-level 5-bedroom apartment, which was intended for high level international meetings. This was done while the government was imposing budget cutbacks.[8] The new director Damir Črnčec discontinued his use of the apartment and ordered an internal review.[13]
