[Alt-WWII] Serviciul Secret de Informații

Not much is known about the Secret Intelligence Service. Founded in 1924, and generally considered part of the Siguranța, or royal secret police, it formed the intelligence arm of the Romanian Army. While most of their interwar activities focused on monitoring domestic and Bolshevik-sponsored communist groups, their greatest success came in June 1939 when they disrupted a 100-strong German spy ring operating out of Galați, aiming to demoralize the army and sabotage mobilization plans.

 

When the Soviet Union announced its intention to annex Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina, the SSI began extensive operations in Chișinău, as well as Iași and București. 57 men, 22 of whom were NKVD operatives, were discovered mapping out Romanian defensive positions in Chișinău and gathering information on the units being deployed. 8 NKVD agents were arrested near the Iași train station, monitoring troop movements. Countless arrests were made in București, but no exact figures were recorded due to many of them having been drawn up on false charges.

 

When the Romanian Army finally withdrew from Chișinău, the SSI agents operating there were ordered to stay behind and monitor the new Soviet government. When the time came to retake Bessarabia, these agents cut phone lines, sabotaged motor pools, and even planted bombs at the local government and military headquarters. Many also used their new Soviet citizenship to freely cross into Ukraine, gathering information that would become vital during the Odessa Raid.

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