British intelligence service MI6 took first place in a ranking of 21 European intelligence agencies compiled by French magazine L'Express, drawing on evaluations from 60 experts across 25 countries. The survey assessed both civilian and military structures based on their ability to gather information, work with agents, and operate under modern security challenges.
L'Express reported that the primary advantage of MI6 is its ability to recruit agents placed in high government positions within closed states, specifically naming Russia, China, Turkey, and Iran. France placed second due to a global contact network largely formed through preserved colonial era influence, while the Dutch intelligence apparatus took third place for its strong orientation in Iran's nuclear energy program.
Ukraine ranked fourth after experts praised its intelligence services for adapting to war conditions. L'Express also noted operations frequently attributed to Ukrainian special services, including the Nord Stream gas pipeline bombings and drone strikes targeting infrastructure deep inside Russian territory.
European Intelligence Rankings
Germany finished fifth, with experts judging its services as strong in analytical work but struggling to recruit agents abroad. Sweden took sixth place, supported by radio and telecommunications interception from its FRA service and secret operations by the KSI unit within MUST military intelligence, according to Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet.
Norway finished seventh, Estonia eighth, Poland ninth, and Denmark completed the top ten. Romania, Spain, Finland, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, and the Czech Republic ranked in the second ten, followed by Lithuania, Portugal, and Austria, with Latvia placing last in 21st position.
Global Military Power Comparisons
In a separate report on military strength, UNIAN noted that Ukraine ranked 20th in the 2026 Global Firepower index. The index listed Ukraine's army and reservist numbers, naval potential, coal extraction, railway network, and defense spending as its primary strengths.
Global Firepower identified Ukraine's weaknesses as a lack of submarines, major warships, and domestic tankers, along with heavy dependence on energy resources. Military analyst Yevhen Dykyi criticized the Global Firepower ranking as detached from wartime reality, stating that an army holding off the world's second strongest military for four years deserves a higher position because strength is measured by combat performance.
