Slovo of the National School of Judges of Ukraine. №4(53) 2025. P. 170-179

ISSN: 2707-6849           

UDC343.3

DOI https://doi.org/10.37566/2707-6849-2025-4(53)-15

PDF

Viktoriia SHPILIAREVYCH,

Vasyl Stefanyk Carpathian National University,

Associate Professor of the Department of Crime Policy

and Criminal Law,

Candidate of Law, Associate Professor

eduORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1761-9892

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Socially dangerous acts, committed against state secrets, as a criminal threat to the national security of Ukraine

Abstract 

The article states that encroachment on state secrets is one of the criminal threats to the national security of Ukraine, especially in the current period of the Russian-Ukrainian war.

In the current Criminal Code of Ukraine, liability for socially dangerous acts committed in relation to state secrets is regulated by a number of articles, some of which are located in Section I «Criminal Offenses against the Fundamentals of National Security of Ukraine» (Articles 111, 114 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), others in Section XIV «Criminal offenses in the field of protecting state secrets, inviolability of state borders, ensuring conscription and mobilization» (Articles 328, 329 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) and Chapter XIX «Criminal offenses against the established procedure for performing military service (military criminal offenses)» (Article 422 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). However, this absolutely does not diminish the importance of relevant information for ensuring the functioning of Ukraine as a sovereign and independent, democratic, social, and legal state.

Based on the results of the conducted scientific research, the author proposes to harmonize the content of the criminal law norm set out in parts 1, 2 of Article 422 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine with the provisions of the current legislation of Ukraine, which concerns the sphere of regulation of public relations related to the classification of information as a state secret, classification, declassification of its material carriers and protection of state secrets for the purpose of protecting the national security of Ukraine, and also outlines the information, which, according to the decisions of state experts on secrets, constitute a state secret in areas defined by law.

Keywords: criminal liability, information security, state security, espionage, disclosure of state secrets, loss of documents containing state secrets.

References

1.   Ukhvala Verkhovnoho Sudu vid 5 sichnia 2023 roku u spravi № 991/5572/22, administratyvne provadzhennia № K/990/36242/22. URL: https://reiestr.tsourt.gov.ua/Reviev/108273593 (data zvernennia: 02.03.2026) (in Ukr.).

2.   Pro natsional'nu bezpeku Ukrainy: zakon Ukrainy vid 21 cher. 2018 r. № 2469-VIII. URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/lavs/shov/2469-19#Tekht (data zvernennia: 02.03.2026) (in Ukr.).

3.   Konstytutsiia Ukrainy: Osnovnyj Zakon Ukrainy vid 28 cher. 1996 r. URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/lavs/shov/254%D0%BA/96-%D0%B2%D1%80#Tekht (data zvernennia: 02.03.2026) (in Ukr.).

4.   Stratehiia informatsijnoi bezpeky, zatverdzhenoi Ukaz Prezydenta Ukrainy vid 28 hrud. 2021 r. № 685/2021. URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/lavs/shov/685/2021#Tekht (data zvernennia: 02.03.2026) (in Ukr.).

5.   Okhorona derzhavnoi taiemnytsi v Ukraini: navch. posib. / A. M. Huz, I. P. Kaspers'kyj, S. O. Kniaziev ta in. Kyiv: Nats. akad. SBU, 2017. 216 s. (in Ukr.).

6.   Khashev V. H. Poniattia ta sutnist' derzhavnoi taiemnytsi v systemi natsional'noi bezpeky: kryminal'no-pravovyj aspekt. Yurydychnyj naukovyj elektronnyj zhurnal. 2025. № 3. S. 640–642. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32782/2524-0374/2025-3/155 (in Ukr.).

7.   Pro derzhavnu taiemnytsiu: zakon Ukrainy vid 21 sich. 1994 r. № 3855. URL:  https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/3855-12#Text (data zvernennia: 02.03.2026) (in Ukr.).

8.   Kalaianov D. P., Mykhajlutsa M. I. Kryminal'no-pravovi aspekty iurydychnoi vidpovidal'nosti za rozgholoshennia derzhavnoi taiemnytsi iak zlochynu u sferi okhorony derzhavnoi taiemnytsi. Naukovyj Visnyk Khersons'koho derzhavnoho universytetu. 2016. Vyp. 2 Tom. 2. S. 143–146 (in Ukr.).

9.   Zlochyny proty osnov natsional'noi bezpeky: u VS obhovoryly pytannia schodo kvalifikatsii tsykh zlochyniv ta vidpovidal'nosti v umovakh povnomasshtabnoho vtorhnennia. URL: https://supreme.court.gov.ua/supreme/pres-centr/news/1588565 (data zvernennia: 02.03.2026) (in Ukr.).

10. Yunin O. S., Shablystyj V. V. Rozgholoshennia derzhavnoi taiemnytsi: kryminal'no-pravovyj aspekt. Pravo i suspil'stvo. 2025. № 1. S. 739–744.  1.    DOI: https://doi.org/10.32842/2078-3736/2025.1.108 (in Ukr.).

11. Pro zatverdzhennia Zvodu vidomostej, scho stanovliat' derzhavnu taiemnytsiu: Nakaz Sluzhby bezpeky Ukrainy vid 23 hrud. 2020 r. № 383. URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/z0052-21#Text (data zvernennia: 02.03.2026)  (in Ukr.).

12. Pro pravovyj rezhym voiennoho stanu: zakon Ukrainy vid 12 trav. 2015 r. № 389-VIII. URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/389-19#Text (data zvernennia: 02.03.2026) (in Ukr.).

13. Pytannia zaprovadzhennia ta zabezpechennia zdijsnennia zakhodiv pravovoho rezhymu voiennoho stanu v Ukraini: Rozporiadzhennia Kabinetu Ministriv Ukrainy vid 24 liutoho 2022 r. № 181-r. URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/181-2022-%D1%80#Text (data zvernennia: 02.03.2026)  (in Ukr.).

14. Mykhajlutsa M. Derzhavna taiemnytsia za kryminal'nym zakonodavstvom Ukrainy ta zarubizhnykh krain svitu: porivnial'no-pravovyj analiz. Natsional'nyj iurydychnyj zhurnal: teoriia i praktyka. 2016. № 4. S. 167–171 (in Ukr.).

15. Kryminal'nyj kodeks Ukrainy: zakon Ukrainy vid 28 hrud. 1960 r. № 2001-05. URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/2001-05#Text (vtratyv chynnist') (in Ukr.).

16. Kryminal'nyj kodeks Ukrainy: zakon Ukrainy vid 5 kvit. 2001 r. №  2341-III. URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/2341-14#Text (data zvernennia: 02.03.2026)  (in Ukr.).

17. Kryminal'nyj kodeks Ukrainy: Tekst Proiektu stanom na 15 zhov. 2025 r. URL: https://newcriminalcode.org.ua/criminal-code (data zvernennia: 02.03.2026) (in Ukr.).

Suggested Citation: Shpiliarevych, V. (2026). Socially dangerous acts, committed against state secrets, as a criminal threat to the national security of Ukraine. Slovo of the National School of Judges of Ukraine, 4 (53), 170–179. https://doi.org/10.37566/2707-6849-2025-4(53)-15

Date of first submission of the article to the publication: 17.01.2026

Date of acceptance of the article for publication after review: 17.03.2026

Date of publication (publication): 09.04.2026