The KGB was governed by military laws and regulations.
 At the time of the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991 the KGB had the following structure:Secretariat (office of the Chairman of the KGB) ()Group of Consultants to the Chairman of the KGB (    )Center for Public Relations (  )1st Main Directorate (External Intelligence) (1-   ( ))2nd Main Directorate (Counter-Intelligence) (2-   ())3rd Main Directorate (Military Counter-Intelligence) (3-   ( ))4th Directorate (Counter-Intelligence Support for the transport and communications infrastructure) (4-  (     ))5th Directorate (Political police)6th Directorate (Counter-Intelligence Support for the economy) (6-  (  ))7th Directorate (External Surveillance) (7-  ( ))8th Main Directorate (Cryptography) (8-   ())9th Directorate (Protection of High level party members)10th Department (Inventory and Archive) (10-  (-))12th Department (Wiretapping and surveillance in enclosed spaces) (12-  (   ))15th Main Directorate (Wartime government command centers) (15-   (   ))16th Directorate (ELINT) (16-  ( ))Close Protection Service (Close protection, perimeter protection, transport and catering for high-ranking government officials) ( )Directorate "Z" (Protection of the constitutional order) (  (  ))Directorate "OP" (Combat against the organized crime) (  (   )Directorate "SCh" (Spetsnaz of the KGB) (  ( ))Main Directorate of the Border Troops (   )Analytical Directorate ( )Inspection Directorate ( )Operational Technical Directorate (R&D of special equipment and procedures) (- )Investigative Department ( )Directorate of Government Communications (  )Personnel Directorate ( )Supply Directorate ( )Military Construction Directorate (- )Military Medical Directorate (- )Department of Financial Planning (- )Mobilization Department ( )Legal Department and Arbitration (   )=== Republican affiliations ===The Soviet Union was a federal state, consisting of 15 constituent Soviet Socialist Republics, each with its own government closely resembling the central government of the USSR
In the late Cold War, the KGB was successful with intelligence coups in the cases of the mercenary walk-in recruits FBI counterspy Robert Hanssen (19792001) and CIA Soviet Division officer Aldrich Ames (19851994)

