Federal Security Service Of Russia
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The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation СБ, ФСБ России (FSB) is the principal
security agency A security agency is a governmental organization that conducts intelligence activities for the internal security of a state. They are the domestic cousins of foreign intelligence agencies, and typically conduct counterintelligence to thwart other ...
of
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
and the main successor agency to the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
's
KGB The Committee for State Security (, ), abbreviated as KGB (, ; ) was the main security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 to 1991. It was the direct successor of preceding Soviet secret police agencies including the Cheka, Joint State Polit ...
; its immediate predecessor was the
Federal Counterintelligence Service The Federal Counterintelligence Service of the Russian Federation (FSK RF; rus, Федеральная служба контрразведки Российской Федерации, p=fʲɪdʲɪˈralʲnəjə ˈsluʐbə kəntrɐzˈvʲetkʲɪ r ...
(FSK), which was reorganized into the FSB in 1995. The three major structural successor components of the former KGB that remain administratively independent of the FSB are the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), the
Federal Protective Service Federal Protective Service may refer to: *Federal Protective Service (United States), a U.S. security police force responsible for the security of buildings owned by the U.S. federal government *Federal Protective Service (Russia) The Federal G ...
(FSO), and the
Main Directorate of Special Programs of the President of the Russian Federation The Main Directorate of Special Programs of the President of the Russian Federation (; GUSP ) is a federal executive agency that performs functions to ensure the fulfillment of the authority of the President of the Russian Federation in the field ...
(GUSP). The primary responsibilities are within the country and include
counter-intelligence Counterintelligence (counter-intelligence) or counterespionage (counter-espionage) is any activity aimed at protecting an agency's intelligence program from an opposition's intelligence service. It includes gathering information and conducting ac ...
,
internal Internal may refer to: *Internality as a concept in behavioural economics *Neijia, internal styles of Chinese martial arts *Neigong or "internal skills", a type of exercise in meditation associated with Daoism * ''Internal'' (album) by Safia, 2016 ...
and
border security Border control comprises measures taken by governments to monitor and regulate the movement of people, animals, and goods across land, air, and maritime borders. While border control is typically associated with international borders, it als ...
,
counterterrorism Counterterrorism (alternatively spelled: counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, relates to the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, businesses, and Intelligence agency, intelligence ...
,
surveillance Surveillance is the monitoring of behavior, many activities, or information for the purpose of information gathering, influencing, managing, or directing. This can include observation from a distance by means of electronic equipment, such as ...
and investigating some other types of serious crimes and federal law violations. It is headquartered in
Lubyanka Square Lubyanskaya Square (, Lubyanskaya ploshchad'), or simply Lubyanka in Moscow lies about north-east of Red Square. History first records its name in 1480, when Grand Prince Ivan III of Moscow, who had conquered Novgorod in 1471, settled many Novg ...
,
Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
's center, in the main building of the former KGB. The director of the FSB is appointed by and directly answerable to the
president of Russia The president of Russia, officially the president of the Russian Federation (), is the executive head of state of Russia. The president is the chair of the State Council (Russia), Federal State Council and the President of Russia#Commander-in-ch ...
. Being part of Russia's executive branch formally, the FSB has significant, if not decisive, power over it. In 2003, the FSB's responsibilities were expanded by incorporating the Border Guard Service and a major part of the Federal Agency of Government Communication and Information (FAPSI); this would include intelligence activities in countries that were once members of the Soviet Union, work formerly done by the KGB's Fifth Service. The SVR had in 1992 signed an agreement not to spy on those countries; the FSB had made no such commitment.


History


Initial recognition of the KGB

The Federal Security Service (FSS; rus, Федеральная служба безопасности Российской Федерации, Federal'naya sluzhba bezopasnosti Rossiyskoy Federatsii (FSB), fʲɪdʲɪˈralʲnəjə ˈsluʐbə bʲɪzɐˈpasnəstʲɪ rɐˈsʲijskəj fʲɪdʲɪˈratsɨɪ СБ, ФСБ России ) is one of the successor organizations of the Soviet Committee of State Security (
KGB The Committee for State Security (, ), abbreviated as KGB (, ; ) was the main security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 to 1991. It was the direct successor of preceding Soviet secret police agencies including the Cheka, Joint State Polit ...
). Following the attempted coup of 1991—in which some KGB units as well as the KGB head
Vladimir Kryuchkov Vladimir Aleksandrovich Kryuchkov (; 29 February 1924 – 23 November 2007) was a Soviet lawyer, diplomat, and head of the KGB, member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU. Initially working in the Soviet justice system a ...
played a major part—the KGB was dismantled and ceased to exist from November 1991. In December 1991, two government agencies answerable to the
Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...
president were created by President Yeltsin's decrees on the basis of the relevant main directorates of the defunct KGB:
Foreign Intelligence Service (Russia) The Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) is the civilian foreign intelligence agency of Russia. The SVR succeeded the First Chief Directorate of the KGB in December 1991.The Security Organs of the Russian Federation: A Brief History 1991–2004' ...
(SVR, the former First Main Directorate) and the Federal Agency of Government Communications and Information (FAPSI, merging the functions of the former 8th Main Directorate and 16th Main Directorate of the KGB). In January 1992, another new institution, the Ministry of Security, took over domestic and border security responsibilities. Following the 1993 constitutional crisis, the Ministry of Security was reorganized on 21 December 1993 into the
Federal Counter-Intelligence Service The Federal Counterintelligence Service of the Russian Federation (FSK RF; rus, Федеральная служба контрразведки Российской Федерации, p=fʲɪdʲɪˈralʲnəjə ˈsluʐbə kəntrɐzˈvʲetkʲɪ r ...
(FSK). The FSK was headed by
Sergei Stepashin Sergei Vadimovich Stepashin (; born 2 March 1952) is a Russian politician who briefly served as Prime Minister of Russia in 1999. Prior to this he had been appointed as federal security minister for counterintelligence by President Boris Yeltsin ...
. Before the start of the First Chechen War's main military activities, the FSK was responsible for the covert operations against the separatists led by
Dzhokhar Dudayev Dzhokhar Musayevich Dudayev (born Dudin Musa-Khant Dzhokhar; 15 February 1944 – 21 April 1996) was a Chechen politician, statesman and military leader of the 1990s Chechen independence movement from Russia. He served as the first president o ...
.


Creation of the FSB

In 1995, the FSK was renamed and reorganized into the Federal Security Service (FSB) by the Federal Law "On the Federal Security Service" (the title of the law as amended in June 2003) signed by the president on 3 April 1995.ФЕДЕРАЛЬНЫЙ ЗАКОН О ФЕДЕРАЛЬНОЙ СЛУЖБЕ БЕЗОПАСНОСТИ
Russian Federation Federal Law No. 40-FZ. Adopted by the State Duma 22 February 1995.
The FSB reforms were rounded out by
decree A decree is a law, legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state, judge, monarch, royal figure, or other relevant Authority, authorities, according to certain procedures. These procedures are usually defined by the constitution, Legislativ ...
No. 633, signed by
Boris Yeltsin Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin (1 February 1931 – 23 April 2007) was a Soviet and Russian politician and statesman who served as President of Russia from 1991 to 1999. He was a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) from 1961 to ...
on 23 June 1995. The
decree A decree is a law, legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state, judge, monarch, royal figure, or other relevant Authority, authorities, according to certain procedures. These procedures are usually defined by the constitution, Legislativ ...
made the tasks of the FSB more specific, giving the FSB substantial rights to conduct cryptographic work, and described the powers of the FSB director. The number of deputy directors was increased to eight: two first deputies, five deputies responsible for departments and directorates and one deputy director heading the Moscow City and Moscow regional directorate. Yeltsin appointed Colonel-General Mikhail Ivanovich Barsukov as the new director of the FSB. In 1998, Yeltsin appointed
Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...
, a KGB veteran who would later succeed Yeltsin as federal president, as director of the FSB. Putin was reluctant to take over the directorship, but once appointed conducted a thorough reorganization, which included the dismissal of most of the FSB's top personnel. Putin appointed
Nikolai Patrushev Nikolai Platonovich Patrushev (; born 11 July 1951) is a Russian politician, security officer and former intelligence officer who served as the secretary of the Security Council of Russia from 2008 to 2024. He previously served as the director o ...
as the head of FSB in 1999.


Role in the Second Chechen War

After the main military offensive of the
Second Chechen War Names The Second Chechen War is also known as the Second Chechen Campaign () or the Second Russian Invasion of Chechnya from the Chechens, Chechen insurgents' point of view.Федеральный закон № 5-ФЗ от 12 января 19 ...
ended and the separatists changed tactics to guerilla warfare, overall command of the federal forces in Chechnya was transferred from the military to the FSB in January 2001. While the army lacked technical means of tracking the guerrilla groups, the FSB suffered from insufficient human intelligence due to its inability to build networks of agents and informants. In the autumn of 2002, the separatists launched a massive campaign of
terrorism Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war aga ...
against the Russian civilians, including the Dubrovka theatre attack. The inability of the federal forces to conduct efficient counterterrorist operations led to the government to transfer the responsibility of "maintaining order" in Chechnya from the FSB to the
Ministry of Internal Affairs An interior ministry or ministry of the interior (also called ministry of home affairs or ministry of internal affairs) is a government department that is responsible for domestic policy, public security and law enforcement. In some states, the i ...
(MVD) in July 2003.


Putin reforms

After becoming president,
Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...
launched a major reorganization of the FSB. First, the FSB was placed under direct control of the President by a decree issued on 17 May 2000. The internal structure of the agency was reformed by a decree signed on 17 June 2000. In the resulting structure, the FSB was to have a director, a first deputy director and nine other deputy directors, including one possible state secretary and the chiefs of six departments: Economic Security Department, Counterintelligence Department, Organizational and Personnel Service, Department of activity provision, Department for Analysis, Forecasting and Strategic Planning, Department for Protection of the Constitutional System and the Fight against Terrorism. In 2003, the agency's responsibilities were considerably widened. The
Border Guard Service of Russia The Border Service of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation ( BS of the FSB of the RF, ) is a branch of the Federal Security Service of Russia tasked with patrol of the Russian border. The terms Border Service of Russia () and B ...
, with its staff of 210,000, was integrated to the FSB via a decree signed on 11 March 2003. The merger was completed by 1 July 2003. In addition, The Federal Agency of Government Communication and Information (FAPSI) was abolished, and the FSB was granted a major part of its functions, while other parts went to the
Ministry of Defense A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divided ...
. Among the reasons for this strengthening of the FSB were the enhanced need for security after increased terror attacks against Russian civilians starting with the
Moscow theater hostage crisis The Moscow theater hostage crisis, also known as the 2002 Nord-Ost siege, was the seizure of the crowded Dubrovka Theater in Moscow by Chechen terrorists on 23 October 2002, resulting in the taking of 912 hostages. The attackers, led by Movs ...
; the need to end the permanent infighting between the FSB, FAPSI and the Border Guards due to their overlapping functions; and the need for more efficient response to migration, drug trafficking and illegal arms trading. In addition, the FSB was the sole power base of the new president, so the restructuring strengthened his position (see
Political groups under Vladimir Putin's presidency A diverse variety of informal political groups emerged since the presidency of Vladimir Putin starting in 1999. They include remnants of the Yeltsin family, Saint Petersburg lawyers and economists, and security-intelligence elements called the ...
). On 28 June 2004, in a speech to high-ranking FSB officers, Putin emphasized three major tasks of the agency: neutralizing foreign espionage, safeguarding the economic and financial security of the country, and combating organized crime. In September 2006, the FSB was shaken up by a major reshuffle. Combined with some earlier reassignments – most notably those of FSB Deputy Directors Yury Zaostrovtsev and Vladimir Anisimov in 2004 and 2005 – the changes were widely believed to be linked to the
Three Whales Corruption Scandal The Three Whales Corruption Scandal is a major corruption scandal in Russia involving several furniture companies and federal government bodies, which has unfolded since 2000. 2000 smuggling investigation Three Whales (Tri kita/Три кита) ...
that had slowly unfolded since 2000. Some analysts considered the changes to be an attempt to undermine FSB Director
Nikolay Patrushev Nikolai Platonovich Patrushev (; born 11 July 1951) is a Russian politician, security officer and former intelligence officer who served as the secretary of the Security Council of Russia from 2008 to 2024. He previously served as the director o ...
's influence, as his team from the
Karelia Karelia (; Karelian language, Karelian and ; , historically Коре́ла, ''Korela'' []; ) is an area in Northern Europe of historical significance for Russia (including the Soviet Union, Soviet era), Finland, and Sweden. It is currentl ...
n KGB Directorate of the late 1980s  to early 1990s suffered most, and he had been on vacations during the events. By 2008, the agency had one Director, two First Deputy Directors and 5 Deputy Directors. It had the following 9 divisions: #
Counter-Espionage Counterintelligence (counter-intelligence) or counterespionage (counter-espionage) is any activity aimed at protecting an agency's intelligence program from an opposition's intelligence service. It includes gathering information and conducting ac ...
#Service for Defense of Constitutional Order and Fight against Terrorism #Border Service #Economic Security Service #Current Information and International Links #Organizational and Personnel Service #Monitoring Department #Scientific and Technical Service #Organizational Security Service


Counterterrorist operations

Beginning with the
Moscow theater hostage crisis The Moscow theater hostage crisis, also known as the 2002 Nord-Ost siege, was the seizure of the crowded Dubrovka Theater in Moscow by Chechen terrorists on 23 October 2002, resulting in the taking of 912 hostages. The attackers, led by Movs ...
in 2002, Russia was faced with increased levels of
terrorism Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war aga ...
. FSB
Spetsnaz SpetsnazThe term is borrowed from rus, спецназ, p=spʲɪtsˈnas; abbreviation for or 'Special Purpose Military Units'; or () are special forces in many post-Soviet states. Historically, this term referred to the Soviet Union's Spet ...
units
Alpha Group Spetsgruppa "A", also known as Alpha Group, officially Directorate "A" of FSB Special Purpose Center (Russian: Спецназ ФСБ "Альфа"), is a sub-unit of Russian special forces within the Russian Special Forces Center of the Feder ...
and
Vympel Directorate "V" of the FSB Special Purpose Center, often referred to as Spetsgruppa "V" Vympel ( pennant in Russian, originated from German , and having the same meaning), but also known as KGB Directorate "V", Vega Group, is a stand-alone su ...
played a key role in hostage rescue operations during the Moscow theater siege and the
Beslan school siege The Beslan school siege, also referred to as the Beslan school hostage crisis or the Beslan massacre, was an Islamic terrorism, Islamic terrorist attack that started on 1 September 2004. It lasted three days, and involved the imprisonment of mo ...
. Their performance was criticised due to the high number of hostage casualties. In 2006, the FSB successfully killed
Shamil Basayev Shamil Salmanovich Basayev (; ; 14 January 1965 – 10 July 2006), also known by his '' kunya'' Abu Idris, was a Chechen guerrilla leader who served as a senior military commander in the breakaway Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. He held the rank ...
, who was behind the Beslan tragedy and several other high-profile terrorist acts. According to the FSB, the operation was planned over six months and made possible due to the FSB's increased activities in foreign countries that were supplying arms to the terrorists. Basayev was tracked via surveillance of this arms trafficking. He and other militants were preparing to carry out a terrorist attack in
Ingushetia Ingushetia or Ingushetiya, officially the Republic of Ingushetia, is a republic of Russia located in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe. The republic is part of the North Caucasian Federal District, and shares land borders with the country o ...
when FSB agents destroyed their convoy; 12 militants were killed. During the last years of the
Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...
's second presidency (2006–2008), terrorist attacks in Russia dwindled, falling from 257 in 2005 to 48 in 2007. Military analyst
Vitaly Shlykov Vitaly Shlykov (; 1934–2011) was a spymaster in the GRU, Russian deputy minister of defence and founder of the influential Council for Foreign and Defense Policy. Spying career Shlykov was arrested in Switzerland in January 1983 following his ...
praised the effectiveness of Russia's security agencies, saying that the experience learned in
Chechnya Chechnya, officially the Chechen Republic, is a Republics of Russia, republic of Russia. It is situated in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe, between the Caspian Sea and Black Sea. The republic forms a part of the North Caucasian Federa ...
and
Dagestan Dagestan ( ; ; ), officially the Republic of Dagestan, is a republic of Russia situated in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe, along the Caspian Sea. It is located north of the Greater Caucasus, and is a part of the North Caucasian Fede ...
had been key to the success. In 2008, the American
Carnegie Endowment The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP) is a nonpartisan international affairs think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C., with operations in Europe, South Asia, East Asia, and the Middle East, as well as the United States. Founde ...
's Foreign Policy magazine named Russia as "the worst place to be a terrorist" and highlighted especially Russia's willingness to prioritize national security over civil rights. By 2010, Russian forces led by the FSB had managed to eliminate the top level leadership of the Chechen insurgency, except for
Dokka Umarov Doku Khamatovich Umarov (, ; ; 13 April 1964 – 7 September 2013), often known as Dokka Umarov, was a Chechen militant in the North Caucasus. Umarov was a major military figure in both wars in Chechnya during the 1990s and 2000s, before becom ...
.


Increased terrorism and expansion of the FSB's powers

Starting from 2009, the level of terrorism in Russia increased again, particularly suicide attacks. Between February 2005 and August 2008, no civilians were killed in such attacks. In 2008, at least 17 were killed, and in 2009 the number rose to 45. In March 2010, Islamist militants organised the
2010 Moscow Metro bombings The 2010 Moscow Metro bombings were suicide bombings carried out by two female Islamic terrorists during the morning rush hour of March 29, 2010, at two stations of the Moscow Metro (Lubyanka (Moscow Metro), Lubyanka and Park Kultury (Sokolnich ...
, which killed 40 people. One of the two blasts took place at Lubyanka station, near the FSB headquarters. Militant leader
Doku Umarov Doku Khamatovich Umarov (, ; ; 13 April 1964 – 7 September 2013), often known as Dokka Umarov, was a Chechens, Chechen militant in the North Caucasus. Umarov was a major military figure in both wars in Chechnya during the 1990s and 2000s, bef ...
—dubbed "Russia's Osama Bin Laden"—took responsibility for the attacks. In July 2010, President
Dmitry Medvedev Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev (born 14 September 1965) is a Russian politician and lawyer who has served as Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia since 2020. Medvedev was also President of Russia between 2008 and 2012 and Prime Mini ...
expanded the FSB's powers in its fight against terrorism. FSB officers received the power to issue warnings to citizens on actions that could lead to committing crimes and arrest people for 15 days if they fail to comply with legitimate orders given by the officers. The bill was harshly criticized by human rights organizations.


Role in Ukraine

Since 2014, the FSB devoted substantial resources to preparing for a Russian takeover of Ukraine. Although Russia's SVR and
GRU Gru is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the ''Despicable Me'' film series. Gru or GRU may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * Gru (rapper), Serbian rapper * Gru, an antagonist in '' The Kine Saga'' Organizations Georgia (c ...
(foreign and military intelligence services) were also involved, FSB had a lead role on "intelligence and influence operations". The FSB's Fifth Service, also referred to as the "Department for Operational Information" and "Operational Information and International Relations Service" is stated by the BBC and Radio Free Europe as counterintelligence in former territories of the Soviet Union, work formerly done by the KGB's Fifth Service. Its Ninth Directorate of the Fifth Service targets Ukraine. Putin was persuaded to invade Ukraine by a small group of his closest associates, especially
Nikolai Patrushev Nikolai Platonovich Patrushev (; born 11 July 1951) is a Russian politician, security officer and former intelligence officer who served as the secretary of the Security Council of Russia from 2008 to 2024. He previously served as the director o ...
,
Yury Kovalchuk Yury Valentinovich Kovalchuk (; born 25 July 1951) is a Russian billionaire businessman and financier who is "reputed to be Vladimir Putin's personal banker". The Panama Papers leak revealed that Kovalchuk had transferred at least $1 billion to ...
and
Alexander Bortnikov Alexander Vasilyevich Bortnikov (; born 15 November 1951) is a Russian intelligence officer who has served as the Director of the Federal Security Service, director of the Federal Security Service (FSB) since 2008. He is one of the most powerfu ...
. According to some experts, Bortnikov played a key role in Putin's decision to invade Ukraine. According to a report of the
Royal United Services Institute The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI, Rusi) is a defence and security think tank with its headquarters in London, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1831 by the Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley ...
citing interviews officers and analysts of
Security Service of Ukraine The Security Service of Ukraine ( ; abbreviated as SBU [] or SSU) is the main Internal security, internal security agency of the Government of Ukraine, Ukrainian government. Its main duties include counter-intelligence activity and combati ...
, the FSB Ukraine team greatly expanded July 2021, and by February 2022 it had "around 200 officers" although most teams consist of only 10–20. Before the 2022 invasion, intelligence agencies in Ukraine, Germany, the UK, and the US reported that the FSB planned to replace elected leaders of Ukraine with Ukrainians now living in Russia. In 2014, according to a Russian military analyst, the FSB badly misled Putin with claims that Ukrainians would welcome a Russian invasion of Crimea to free them from "fascists". According to ''
Radio Free Europe Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) is a media organization broadcasting news and analyses in 27 languages to 23 countries across Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the Middle East. Headquartered in Prague since 1995, RFE/RL ...
'', in 2022, the FSB again promised easy victory if Russia invaded Ukraine. With the start of the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...
, Ukrainian counterintelligence has repeatedly asserted that the FSB suffered failures of
operations security Operations security (OPSEC) is a process that identifies critical information to determine whether friendly actions can be observed by enemy intelligence, determines if information obtained by adversaries could be interpreted to be useful to th ...
, including acts of insubordination and possible sabotage. In March 2022, Russia's encrypted communication system in Ukraine became useless after the Russian military destroyed cellphone towers; unencrypted phone calls from the FSB in Ukraine to superiors in Moscow discussing the death of
Vitaly Gerasimov Vitaly Petrovich Gerasimov (; born 9 July 1977) is a Russian Ground Forces Major general#Russia, major general (one-star rank), the chief of staff and first deputy commander of the 41st Combined Arms Army. On 7 March 2022, Ministry of Defence ...
were tapped and released publicly. Ukrainian intelligence reported that FSB members were leaking intelligence to them, including the location of the Chechen commandos sent to assassinate Zelensky. In late March, Ukrainian intelligence posted online the names, addresses, phone numbers, and more of 620 people they identified as FSB agents. None of these reports have been confirmed by the FSB. Media outlets of Ukraine, its allies in the West, and Russian dissidents report that Vladimir Putin has blamed setbacks in the military operations on the FSB and the Fifth Service. On 11 March 2022, investigative journalist
Andrei Soldatov Andrei Alekseyevich Soldatov (, born 4 October 1975 in Moscow, Russia) is a Russian investigative journalist and Russian security services expert. Together with fellow journalist Irina Borogan he is co-founder and editor of the Agentura.Ru websit ...
reported that Fifth Service head Sergey Beseda and his deputy, Anatoly Bolyukh were under house arrest due to
Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...
's discontent with intelligence failures regarding the invasion of Ukraine. A U.S. official interviewed by ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
'' described the arrest report as "credible". On 11 April 2022, the ''Times of London'', citing unnamed sources who had spoken to
Bellingcat Bellingcat (stylised bell¿ngcat) is a Netherlands-based investigative journalism group that specialises in fact-checking and open-source intelligence (OSINT). It was founded by British citizen journalist and former blogger Eliot Higgins in Ju ...
executive director
Christo Grozev Christo Grozev (; born 20 May 1969) is a Bulgarian investigative journalist and author. He is the head of investigations with '' The Insider'' and former lead Russia investigator with Bellingcat. He also writes for ''Der Spiegel''. His investig ...
, reported that Beseda was transferred to Lefortovo Prison, the scene of mass executions during Stalin's
purges In history, religion and political science, a purge is a position removal or execution of people who are considered undesirable by those in power from a government, another, their team leaders, or society as a whole. A group undertaking such an ...
. The same report claims that up over 100 FSB agents from the Fifth Service had been sacked. The ''Times of London'' also reports that "it is thought that" the Fifth Service is now headed by Beseda's former subordinate, Grigory Grishaev. According to an article in the 11 April 2022 issue of ''The Washington Post'':
Several current and former officials described the Russian security service as rife with corruption, beset by bureaucratic bloat and ultimately out of touch. A Ukrainian intelligence official said the FSB had spent millions recruiting a network of pro-Russian collaborators who ultimately told Putin and his top advisers, among them the current FSB director, what they wanted to hear.
A series of alleged leaked letters from FSB analysts, made public after the invasion began, report the same kind of problem. For example: "You have to write the analysis in a way that makes Russia the victor ... otherwise you get questioned for not doing good work." Russian-American ballet dancer Ksenia Karelina was arrested in early 2024 in Yekaterinburg and charged with "treason" for sending $51.80 to
Razom Razom for Ukraine () is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to "unlocking the potential of Ukraine". Razom, which means “together” in Ukrainian, seeks to uphold the principles of the Revolution of Dignity and to help build a secure, ...
, a
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
-based nonprofit organization that sends humanitarian assistance to
Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
. The FSB accused Karelina of taking part in "public actions to support the Kyiv regime." She initially faced life in prison, but pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. In August 2024, a "counter-terrorism" operational regime under the FSB was introduced in
Kursk Kursk (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur (Kursk Oblast), Kur, Tuskar, and Seym (river), Seym rivers. It has a population of Kursk ...
,
Bryansk Bryansk (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Bryansk Oblast, Russia, situated on the Desna (river), Desna River, southwest of Moscow. It has a population of 379,152 at the 2021 census. Bryans ...
and
Belgorod Oblast Belgorod Oblast () is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject (an oblast) of Russia. Its administrative center is the types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Belgorod. , the population is 1,540,486. History During the Princely ...
s. This means in practice that "movement is restricted, vehicles can be seized, phone calls can be monitored, areas are declared no-go zones, checkpoints introduced, and security is beefed up at key infrastructure sites."


Function


Counterintelligence

In 2011, the FSB said it had exposed 199 foreign spies, including 41 professional spies and 158 agents employed by foreign intelligence services. The number has risen in recent years: in 2006 the FSB reportedly caught about 27 foreign intelligence officers and 89 foreign agents. Comparing the number of exposed spies historically, the then-FSB Director Nikolay Kovalyov said in 1996: "There has never been such a number of
spies Spies most commonly refers to people who engage in spying, espionage or clandestine operations. Spies or The Spies may also refer to: Arts and media Films * ''Spies'' (1928 film), English title for ''Spione'', a 1928 German film by Fritz Lan ...
arrested by us since the time when German agents were sent in during the years of World War II." The 2011 figure is similar to what was reported in 1995–1996, when around 400 foreign intelligence agents were uncovered during the two-year period. In a high-profile case of foreign espionage, the FSB said in February 2012 that an engineer working at the
Plesetsk Cosmodrome Plesetsk Cosmodrome () is a Russian spaceport located in Mirny, Arkhangelsk Oblast, near the town of Plesetsk, from which it takes its name. Until 2025 and the commissioning of the Andøya Space, Andøya base in Norway, it was the only operati ...
, Russia's main space center for military launches, had been sentenced to 13 years in prison on charges of state treason. A court judged that the engineer had sold information about the testing of new Russian strategic missile systems to the American
CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...
. A number of scientists have been accused of espionage and illegal technology exports by the FSB since it was established; instances include researcher Igor Sutyagin, physicist
Valentin Danilov Valentin Danilov (, born 1948) is a Russian physicist, whose research deals with the effect of solar activity on space satellites. In November 2004, he was found guilty and sentenced to 14 years for treason. Many scientists and human rights organiz ...
, physical chemist Oleg Korobeinichev, academician Oskar Kaibyshev, and physicist Yury Ryzhov. Ecologist and journalist
Alexander Nikitin Aleksandr Nikitin may refer to: * Aleksandr Nikitin (environmentalist) Alexander Konstantinovich Nikitin (; born 16 May 1952) is a Russian former submarine officer and nuclear safety inspector turned environmentalist. In 1996 he was accused of esp ...
, who worked with the
Bellona Foundation The Bellona Foundation is an international environmental NGO headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with branches in Europe and North America. Founded in 1986 by Frederic Hauge and Rune Haaland as a direct action protest group to curb Norway's oil and ...
, was accused of espionage. He published material exposing hazards posed by the Russian Navy's nuclear fleet. He was acquitted in 1999 after spending several years in prison (his case was sent for re-investigation 13 times while he remained in prison). In August 2021, the FSB arrested
plasma physics Plasma () is a state of matter characterized by the presence of a significant portion of charged particles in any combination of ions or electrons. It is the most abundant form of ordinary matter in the universe, mostly in stars (including th ...
-expert Alexander Kuranov, chief designer of the Hypersonic Systems Research Center (NIPGS in Russian) in
St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...
. Kuranov is suspected of passing secret information to a foreigner about hypersonic technology; he oversaw concept design on the
Ayaks The Ayaks () is a Hypersonic flight, hypersonic waverider aircraft program started in the Soviet Union and currently under development by the Hypersonic Systems Research Institute (HSRI) of Leninets Holding Company in Saint Petersburg, Russia. S ...
/Ajax
hypersonic In aerodynamics, a hypersonic speed is one that exceeds five times the speed of sound, often stated as starting at speeds of Mach 5 and above. The precise Mach number at which a craft can be said to be flying at hypersonic speed varies, since i ...
aircraft and has run a Russia-US scientific
symposium In Ancient Greece, the symposium (, ''sympósion'', from συμπίνειν, ''sympínein'', 'to drink together') was the part of a banquet that took place after the meal, when drinking for pleasure was accompanied by music, dancing, recitals, o ...
for several years. Other instances of prosecution are the cases of investigative journalist and ecologist
Grigory Pasko Grigory Mikhailovich Pasko (''Григо́рий Миха́йлович Пасько'', born 19 May 1962) is a military Russian journalist, convicted traitor, Amnesty International-designated prisoner of conscience, and founding editor of ''Ecolo ...
,The Pasko case
Vladimir Petrenko Vladimir Vasilyevich Petrenko (born in 1971) is a former competitive figure skater who represented the Soviet Union. He is the 1986 World Junior champion. He is the younger brother of Olympic gold medalist Viktor Petrenko, and they were both c ...
, who described danger posed by military chemical warfare stockpiles, and Nikolay Shchur, chairman of the Snezhinskiy Ecological Fund. Other arrested people include Viktor Orekhov, a former KGB officer who assisted Soviet dissidents, Vladimir Kazantsev, who disclosed illegal purchases of eavesdropping devices from foreign firms, and
Vil Mirzayanov Vil Sultanovich Mirzayanov (, ; born 9 March 1935 in Starokangyshevo, Dyurtyulinsky District, Bashkortostan) is a Russian chemist of ethnic Tatar origin who now lives in the United States, best known for revealing secret chemical weapons experi ...
, who had written that Russia was working on a nerve-gas weapon.


Counterterrorism

In 2011, the FSB prevented 94 "crimes of a terrorist nature", including eight terrorist attacks. In particular, the agency foiled a planned suicide bombing in Moscow on New Year's Eve. The agency failed to prevent terrorists perpetrating the
Domodedovo International Airport bombing The Domodedovo International Airport bombing was a suicide bombing in the international arrival hall of Moscow's Domodedovo International, in Domodedovsky District, Moscow Oblast, on 24 January 2011. The bombing killed 37 people and injured ...
. Over the years, FSB and affiliated state security organizations have killed all presidents of the separatist
Chechen Republic of Ichkeria The Chechen Republic of Ichkeria ( ; ; ; abbreviated as "ChRI" or "CRI"), known simply as Ichkeria, was a ''de facto'' State (polity), state that controlled most of the former Checheno-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, Checheno-Ingus ...
including
Dzhokhar Dudaev Dzhokhar Musayevich Dudayev (born Dudin Musa-Khant Dzhokhar; 15 February 1944 – 21 April 1996) was a Chechen politician, statesman and military leader of the 1990s Chechen independence movement from Russia. He served as the first president o ...
, Zelimkhan Yandarbiev,
Aslan Maskhadov Aslan (Khalid) Aliyevich Maskhadov (; ; 21 September 1951 – 8 March 2005) was a Soviet and Chechen politician and military commander who was the third president of the unrecognized Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. He was credited by many with ...
, and Abdul-Khalim Saidullaev. During the
Moscow theater hostage crisis The Moscow theater hostage crisis, also known as the 2002 Nord-Ost siege, was the seizure of the crowded Dubrovka Theater in Moscow by Chechen terrorists on 23 October 2002, resulting in the taking of 912 hostages. The attackers, led by Movs ...
and
Beslan school hostage crisis The Beslan school siege, also referred to as the Beslan school hostage crisis or the Beslan massacre, was an Islamic terrorist attack that started on 1 September 2004. It lasted three days, and involved the imprisonment of more than 1,100 peop ...
, all hostage-takers were killed on the spot by FSB spetsnaz forces. Only one of the suspects, Nur-Pashi Kulayev, survived and was convicted later by the court. It is reported that more than 100 leaders of terrorist groups have been killed during 119 operations on North Caucasus during 2006. On 28 July 2006, the FSB presented a list of 17 terrorist organizations recognized by the
Supreme Court of the Russian Federation The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation () is a court within the judiciary of Russia and the court of last resort in Russian administrative law, civil law, criminal law and commercial law cases. It also supervises the work of lower court ...
, to newspaper, which published the list that day. The list had been available previously, but only through individual request. Commenting on the list, Yuri Sapunov, head of counterterrorism at the FSB, named three main criteria necessary for organizations to be listed.


Foreign intelligence

According to some unofficial sources, since 1999, the FSB has also been tasked with the intelligence-gathering on the territory of the CIS countries, wherein the SVR is legally forbidden from conducting espionage under the inter-government agreements. Such activity is in line with Article 8 of the Federal Law on the FSB. According to the
Royal United Services Institute The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI, Rusi) is a defence and security think tank with its headquarters in London, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1831 by the Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley ...
, FSB's Department for Operational Information "is responsible for compiling data on Russia's 'near abroad, having taken over the work of KGB's Fifth Service, which ran counterintelligence inside territories of the Soviet Union.


Targeted killing

In the summer of 2006, the FSB was given the legal power to engage in
targeted killing Targeted killing is a form of assassination carried out by governments Extrajudicial killing, outside a judicial procedure or a battlefield. Since the late 20th century, the legal status of targeted killing has become a subject of contention wit ...
of terrorism suspects overseas if ordered by the president.


Border protection

The Federal Border Guard Service (FPS) has been part of the FSB since 2003. Russia has of sea and land borders, of which is with Kazakhstan, and with China. One kilometer (.62 miles) of border protection costs around 1 million rubles per year.


Export control

The FSB is engaged in the development of Russia's export control strategy and examines drafts of international agreements related to the transfer of
dual-use In politics, diplomacy and export control, dual-use items refer to goods, software and technology that can be used for both civilian and military applications.
and military commodities and technologies. Its primary role in the
nonproliferation Nuclear proliferation is the spread of nuclear weapons to additional countries, particularly those not recognized as nuclear-weapon states by the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, commonly known as the ''Non-Proliferation T ...
sphere is to collect information to prevent the illegal export of controlled nuclear technology and materials.


Surveillance

In September 2017,
WikiLeaks WikiLeaks () is a non-profit media organisation and publisher of leaked documents. It is funded by donations and media partnerships. It has published classified documents and other media provided by anonymous sources. It was founded in 2006 by ...
released "Spy Files Russia", revealing how a company called Peter-Service helped state entities gather data on Russian mobile phone users as part of an online surveillance system called the System for Operative Investigative Activities (
SORM The System for Operative Investigative Activities (SORM; ) is the technical specification for lawful interception interfaces of telecommunications and telephone networks operating in Russia. The current form of the specification enables the target ...
) with close collaboration with the FSB. SORM-1 is for wiretapping phones. SORM-2 intercepts electronic correspondence and Internet traffic. Beginning in the summer of 2014, SORM-3 has been "on guard" and integrates all telecommunication services in real time.


Cyber Units

In recent years, the FSB has expanded its mission to include foreign intelligence collection and offensive cyber operations. Cyber analysts have referred to FSB hackers as
Berserk Bear Berserk Bear (also known as BROMINE, Crouching Yeti, Dragonfly, Dragonfly 2.0, DYMALLOY, Energetic Bear, Ghost Blizzard, Havex, IRON LIBERTY, Koala, or TeamSpy) is a Russian cyber espionage group, sometimes known as an advanced persistent threat. ...
, Energetic Bear,
Gamaredon Gamaredon, also known as Primitive Bear, UNC530, ACTINIUM, or Aqua Blizzard (by Microsoft) is a Russian advanced persistent threat that has been active since at least 2013. Motivation Cyber espionage appears to be the main goal of the group,; unli ...
, TeamSpy, Dragonfly, Havex, Crouching Yeti, and Koala. The FSB reportedly has two primary centers overseeing its information security and cyber operations. The first is the 16th Center, which houses most of the FSB's signals intelligence capabilities. The FSB also includes the 18th Center for Information Security, which oversees domestic operations and security but conducts foreign operations as well. The U.S. government indicted 18th Center FSB officers in 2017 for breaching
Yahoo Yahoo (, styled yahoo''!'' in its logo) is an American web portal that provides the search engine Yahoo Search and related services including My Yahoo, Yahoo Mail, Yahoo News, Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Sports, y!entertainment, yahoo!life, an ...
and millions of email accounts. In 2021, Ukrainian intelligence released information and recordings of 18th Center FSB officers based in
Crimea Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrain ...
as part of the "Gamaredon" hacking group. Media reporting indicates FSB units are capable of manufacturing their own advanced malware tools and have been documented manipulating exposed malware to mimic other hacking teams and conceal their activities. Reporting indicates the FSB oversees training and research institutes, which directly support the FSB's cyber mission. One FSB team reportedly focuses on penetrating infrastructure and energy sector targets. Most operations linked to this team appear to be reconnaissance or clandestine surveillance. The targeting of the energy sector has raised concern within the U.S. government. The
Department of Homeland Security The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the U.S. federal executive department responsible for public security, roughly comparable to the interior, home, or public security ministries in other countries. Its missions invol ...
and the
Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
have documented the unit's reconnaissance and noted the possibility of inserting malware to cause future damage in an attack. The U.S. government also has linked the unit to attempts to penetrate state and local government networks in 2020. Media reporting has documented close connections between the FSB and criminal and civilian hackers, which the FSB reportedly uses to augment and staff its cyber units. DOJ has indicted multiple Russian hackers for a variety of criminal and state-sponsored cyber activities. Many of these indictments describe the close relationship between criminal hackers and the FSB.


Organization


Director

Since 2008, the director of the FSB has been General
Alexander Bortnikov Alexander Vasilyevich Bortnikov (; born 15 November 1951) is a Russian intelligence officer who has served as the Director of the Federal Security Service, director of the Federal Security Service (FSB) since 2008. He is one of the most powerfu ...
.


First Deputy Director

The current First Deputy Director of the FSB is
Sergei Korolev Sergei Pavlovich Korolev (14 January 1966) was the lead Soviet Aerospace engineering, rocket engineer and spacecraft designer during the Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union in the 1950s and 1960s. He invented the R-7 Sem ...
. He was appointed by Russian President
Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...
on 24 February 2021.


Head of scientific and technical service

As of 2022,
Eduard Chernovoltsev Eduard Model Accessories is a Czech manufacturer of plastic models and finescale model accessories. History Formed in 1989 in the city of Most, Eduard began in a rented cellar as a manufacturer of photoetched brass model components. Follo ...
was listed the Head of scientific and technical service of the FSB.


Regional structure

Below the nationwide level, the FSB has regional offices in all the
federal subjects of Russia The federal subjects of Russia, also referred to as the subjects of the Russian Federation () or simply as the subjects of the federation (), are the administrative division, constituent entities of Russia, its top-level political division ...
. It also has administrations in the armed forces and other military institutions. Sub-departments exist for areas such as aviation, special training centers, forensic expertise, military medicine, etc. Structure of the Federal Office (incomplete): * Counterintelligence Service (Department) – chiefs:
Oleg Syromolotov Oleg Vladimirovich Syromolotov (Russian: Оле́г Влади́мирович Сыромо́лотов; born 19 May 1953) was Deputy Director of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), the successor of the Soviet-era KGB. He has headed the DKR, ...
(since Aug 2000), Valery Pechyonkin (September 1997 – August 2000) **Directorate for the Counterintelligence Support of Strategic Facilities **Military Counterintelligence Directorate – chiefs: Alexander Bezverkhny (at least since 2002), Vladimir Petrishchev (since January 1996) *Service (Department) for Protection of the Constitutional System and the Fight against Terrorism – chiefs: Alexey Sedov (since March 2006), Alexander Bragin (2004 – March 2006), Alexander Zhdankov (2001–2004),
German Ugryumov German Alexeyevich Ugryumov (; 10 October 1948, Astrakhan, Soviet Union – 31 May 2001, Khankala, Chechnya, Russia) was a Soviet and Russian navy and security services official. During his childhood he lived in Chelyabinsk Oblast. Naval count ...
(2000–2001) **Directorate for Terrorism and Political Extremism Control – chiefs: Mikhail Belousov, before him Grafov, before the latter
Boris Mylnikov Boris may refer to: People * Boris (given name), a male given name * *List of people with given name Boris * Boris (surname) Arts and media * Boris (band), a Japanese experimental rock trio * ''Boris'' (EP), by Yezda Urfa, 1975 * "Boris" (son ...
(since 2000) *Economic Security Service (Department) – chiefs: Sergei Alpatov (acting since 4 March 2021),
Sergei Korolev Sergei Pavlovich Korolev (14 January 1966) was the lead Soviet Aerospace engineering, rocket engineer and spacecraft designer during the Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union in the 1950s and 1960s. He invented the R-7 Sem ...
(June 2016 to 24 February 2021), (2008 to June 2016),
Alexander Bortnikov Alexander Vasilyevich Bortnikov (; born 15 November 1951) is a Russian intelligence officer who has served as the Director of the Federal Security Service, director of the Federal Security Service (FSB) since 2008. He is one of the most powerfu ...
(2 March 2004 to 2008), Yury Zaostrovtsev (January 2000 – March 2004),
Viktor Ivanov Viktor Petrovich Ivanov (, born May 12, 1950) is a Russian politician and businessman, former KGB officer, who served in the KGB Directorate of Leningrad and its successors in 1977–1994. He was the director of The Federal Narcotics Service o ...
(April 1999 – January 2000),
Nikolay Patrushev Nikolai Platonovich Patrushev (; born 11 July 1951) is a Russian politician, security officer and former intelligence officer who served as the secretary of the Security Council of Russia from 2008 to 2024. He previously served as the director o ...
(1998 – April 1999),
Alexander Grigoryev Alexander Andreyevich Grigoryev (in , October 4, 1949 – December 10, 2008) was a Russian security services official. Grigoryev was born in Leningrad. In 1975–2001 he served in the KGB and its successors. As a KGB officer he also took part in ...
(28 August – 1 October 1998). *Operational Information and International Relations Service (Analysis, Forecasting, and Strategic Planning Department) – chiefs: Sergey Beseda (since 2009), Viktor Komogorov (1999–2009),
Sergei Ivanov Sergei Borisovich Ivanov (, ; born 31 January 1953) is a Russian senior official and politician who has been serving as the Special Presidential Envoy on the Issues of Environmental Activities, Ecology and Transport since 12 August 2016. He h ...
(1998–1999); The successor of the KGB's Fifth Service, this department is in charge of counterintelligence operations against territories of the former Soviet Union. *Organizational and Personnel Service (Department) – chiefs: Yevgeny Lovyrev (since 2001), Yevgeny Solovyov (before Lovyrev) *Department for Activity Provision – chiefs: Mikhail Shekin (since September 2006), Sergey Shishin (before Shekin), Pyotr Pereverzev (as of 2004), Alexander Strelkov (before Pereverzev) * Border Guard Service – chiefs:
Vladimir Pronichev General of the Army Vladimir Yegorovich Pronichev (; born 1 March 1953) is a retired Russian security official, and the former head of the Border Guard Service of the Russian Federation. Pronichev also held the title of First Deputy Director of ...
(since 2003) *Control Service – chiefs: Alexander Zhdankov (since 2004) **Inspection Directorate – chiefs:
Vladimir Anisimov Vladimir (, , pre-1918 orthography: ) is a masculine given name of Slavic origin, widespread throughout all Slavic nations in different forms and spellings. The earliest record of a person with the name is Vladimir of Bulgaria (). Etymology T ...
(2004 – May 2005),
Rashid Nurgaliyev Rashid Gumarovich Nurgaliyev ( ; born 8 October 1956) is a Russian general and politician who currently serves as First Deputy Secretary of the Security Council. He was also Russia's interior minister from 2003 to 2012. Early life and educatio ...
(12 July 2000 – 2002), **Internal Security Directorate – chiefs: Alexander Kupryazhkin (until September 2006),
Sergei Shishin Sergius is a male given name of Ancient Roman origin after the name of the Latin ''gens'' Sergia or Sergii of regal and republican ages. It is a common Christian name, in honour of Saint Sergius, or in Kyivan Rus', of Sergius of the Holy Caves ...
(before Kupryazhkin since December 2002), Sergei Smirnov (April 1999 – December 2002),
Viktor Ivanov Viktor Petrovich Ivanov (, born May 12, 1950) is a Russian politician and businessman, former KGB officer, who served in the KGB Directorate of Leningrad and its successors in 1977–1994. He was the director of The Federal Narcotics Service o ...
(1998 – April 1999),
Nikolay Patrushev Nikolai Platonovich Patrushev (; born 11 July 1951) is a Russian politician, security officer and former intelligence officer who served as the secretary of the Security Council of Russia from 2008 to 2024. He previously served as the director o ...
(1994–1998) *Science and Engineering Service (Department) – chiefs: Nikolai Klimashin *Center of Information Security *Investigation Directorate – chiefs: Nikolay Oleshko (since December 2004), Yury Anisimov (as of 2004), Viktor Milchenko (since 2002), Sergey Balashov (until 2002 since at least 2001), Vladimir Galkin (as of 1997 and 1998) Besides the services (departments) and directorates of the federal office, the territorial directorates of FSB in the
federal subjects The federal subjects of Russia, also referred to as the subjects of the Russian Federation () or simply as the subjects of the federation (), are the constituent entities of Russia, its top-level political divisions. According to the Cons ...
are also subordinate to it. Of these, St. Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast Directorate of FSB and its predecessors (historically covering both Leningrad/
Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
and
Leningrad Oblast Leningrad Oblast (, ; ; ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). The oblast has an area of and a population of 2,000,997 (2021 Russian census, 2021 Census); up from 1,716,868 recorded in the 2010 Russian census ...
) have played especially important roles in the history of this organization, as many of the officers of the Directorate, including
Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...
and
Nikolay Patrushev Nikolai Platonovich Patrushev (; born 11 July 1951) is a Russian politician, security officer and former intelligence officer who served as the secretary of the Security Council of Russia from 2008 to 2024. He previously served as the director o ...
, later assumed important positions within the federal FSB office or other government bodies. After the last Chief of the Soviet time, Anatoly Kurkov, the St. Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast Directorate were led by
Sergei Stepashin Sergei Vadimovich Stepashin (; born 2 March 1952) is a Russian politician who briefly served as Prime Minister of Russia in 1999. Prior to this he had been appointed as federal security minister for counterintelligence by President Boris Yeltsin ...
(29 November 1991 – 1992),
Viktor Cherkesov Viktor Vasilyevich Cherkesov (; 13 July 1950 – 8 November 2022) was a Russian security services official. Biography Cherkesov graduated from the Law Department of Leningrad State University in 1973. In 1975–1991, he worked in Leningrad a ...
(1992 –1998),
Alexander Grigoryev Alexander Andreyevich Grigoryev (in , October 4, 1949 – December 10, 2008) was a Russian security services official. Grigoryev was born in Leningrad. In 1975–2001 he served in the KGB and its successors. As a KGB officer he also took part in ...
(1 October 1998 – 5 January 2001), Sergei Smirnov (5 January 2001 – June 2003),
Alexander Bortnikov Alexander Vasilyevich Bortnikov (; born 15 November 1951) is a Russian intelligence officer who has served as the Director of the Federal Security Service, director of the Federal Security Service (FSB) since 2008. He is one of the most powerfu ...
(June 2003 – March 2004) and Yury Ignashchenkov (since March 2004).


Directors of the FSB

On 20 June 1996,
Boris Yeltsin Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin (1 February 1931 – 23 April 2007) was a Soviet and Russian politician and statesman who served as President of Russia from 1991 to 1999. He was a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) from 1961 to ...
fired
Director of FSB The Director of Russia's Federal Security Service (Директор Федеральной Службы Безопасности) is the head and chief executive officer of the Federal Security Service, which is one of several Russian Intelligenc ...
Mikhail Barsukov Mikhail Ivanovich Barsukov ( Russian: Михаил Иванович Барсуков; born 8 November 1947) is a former Russian intelligence and government official. His most notable post was as the short-lived head of the Federal Security Servic ...
and appointed Nikolay Kovalyov as acting Director and later Director of the FSB. Aleksander Bortnikov took over on 12 May 2008. *
Nikolai Golushko Nikolai Mikhailovich Golushko (; ; born 21 June 1937) is a former minister and KGB officer. Biography He was born to a family of Grey Klin Ukrainians. In 1959 he graduated from the law faculty of Tomsk university. He worked in KGB from 1963 on ( ...
, December 1993 – February 1994 *
Sergei Stepashin Sergei Vadimovich Stepashin (; born 2 March 1952) is a Russian politician who briefly served as Prime Minister of Russia in 1999. Prior to this he had been appointed as federal security minister for counterintelligence by President Boris Yeltsin ...
, February 1994 – June 1995 *
Mikhail Barsukov Mikhail Ivanovich Barsukov ( Russian: Михаил Иванович Барсуков; born 8 November 1947) is a former Russian intelligence and government official. His most notable post was as the short-lived head of the Federal Security Servic ...
, July 1995 – June 1996 * Nikolai Kovalyov, July 1996 – July 1998 *
Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...
, July 1998 – August 1999 *
Nikolai Patrushev Nikolai Platonovich Patrushev (; born 11 July 1951) is a Russian politician, security officer and former intelligence officer who served as the secretary of the Security Council of Russia from 2008 to 2024. He previously served as the director o ...
, August 1999 – 12 May 2008 *
Alexander Bortnikov Alexander Vasilyevich Bortnikov (; born 15 November 1951) is a Russian intelligence officer who has served as the Director of the Federal Security Service, director of the Federal Security Service (FSB) since 2008. He is one of the most powerfu ...
, 12 May 2008 – present


Criticism

The FSB has been criticised for
corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense that is undertaken by a person or an organization that is entrusted in a position of authority to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's gain. Corruption may involve activities ...
,
human rights violations Human rights are universally recognized moral principles or norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both national and international laws. These rights are considered inherent and inalienable, meaning t ...
and
secret police image:Putin-Stasi-Ausweis.png, 300px, Vladimir Putin's secret police identity card, issued by the East German Stasi while he was working as a Soviet KGB liaison officer from 1985 to 1989. Both organizations used similar forms of repression. Secre ...
activities. Some Kremlin critics such as
Alexander Litvinenko Alexander Valterovich Litvinenko (30 August 1962 ( at WebCite) – 23 November 2006) was a British-naturalised Russian defector and former officer of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) who specialised in tackling organized crime, ...
have claimed that the FSB is engaged in suppression of internal dissent; Litvinenko died in 2006 as a result of
polonium Polonium is a chemical element; it has symbol Po and atomic number 84. A rare and highly radioactive metal (although sometimes classified as a metalloid) with no stable isotopes, polonium is a chalcogen and chemically similar to selenium and tel ...
poisoning."The sadistic poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko"
– by Don Murray;- CBC News, 2006
Litvinenko, along with a series of other authors such as Yury Felshtinsky,
David Satter David A. Satter (born August 1, 1947) is an American journalist and historian who writes about Russia and the Soviet Union. He has authored books and articles about the decline and fall of the Soviet Union and the rise of post-Soviet Russia. Sa ...
,
Boris Kagarlitsky } Boris Yulyevich Kagarlitsky (; born 29 August 1958) is a Russian Marxism, Marxist Political philosophy, theoretician and sociology, sociologist who has been a Dissident, political dissident in the Soviet Union and the Russia, Russian Federation. ...
,
Vladimir Pribylovsky Vladimir Valerianovich Pribylovsky (, 6 March 195613 January 2016) was a Soviet and Russian political scientist, historian, journalist, human rights activist, and author of internet database Anticompromat.org on biographies of Russian politicia ...
,
Mikhail Trepashkin Mikhail Ivanovich Trepashkin (; born 7 April 1957) is a Russian attorney and former Federal Security Service (FSB) colonel who was invited by MP Sergei Kovalev to assist in an independent inquiry of the Russian apartment bombings in September ...
, have claimed that the 1999 apartment bombings in
Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
and other Russian cities were a
false flag A false flag operation is an act committed with the intent of disguising the actual source of responsibility and pinning blame on another party. The term "false flag" originated in the 16th century as an expression meaning an intentional misrep ...
attack coordinated by the FSB in order to win public support for a new full-scale war in Chechnya and boost former FSB director and then prime minister
Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...
's popularity in the lead-up to
parliamentary elections A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. General elections ...
and presidential transfer of power. The FSB has been further criticized by some for failure to bring Islamist terrorism in Russia under control. In the mid-2000s, the pro-Kremlin Russian sociologist
Olga Kryshtanovskaya Olga Viktorovna Kryshtanovskaya (; born 1954) is a Russian sociologist, activist and State Duma deputy from the United Russia party. Education and career Kryshtanovskaya works for since 1989. In 2003 she discovered that majority of former KGB o ...
claimed that the FSB played a dominant role in the country's political, economic and even cultural life.''In Russia, A Secretive Force Widens''
– by P. Finn — Washington Post, 2006
After the annexation of Crimea, the FSB may also have been responsible for the forced disappearances and torture of Crimean Tatar activists and public figures. According to the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
, in occupied Crimea, the FSB used torture with elements of sexual violence against pro-Ukrainian activists, forcing them to confess to crimes related to terrorism. The detainees were, allegedly, beaten, tortured with electric shocks in the genitals and threatened with rape. Some, such as Oleh Sentsov, have been detained and accused in politically motivated
kangaroo court Kangaroo court is an informal pejorative term for a court that ignores recognized standards of law or justice, carries little or no official standing in the territory within which it resides, and is typically convened ad hoc. A kangaroo court ma ...
s. The FSB spied on and filmed a gathering of members of the
Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses is a Christian denomination that is an outgrowth of the Bible Student movement founded by Charles Taze Russell in the nineteenth century. The denomination is nontrinitarian, millenarian, and restorationist. Russell co-fou ...
while they were about to undergo baptism rites, with the videos used as evidence in a trial against the defendants in 2021; Jehovah's Witnesses have been banned as a group in Russia since 2017 for "extremism". In spite of various anti-corruption actions of the Russian government, FSB operatives and officials are routinely found in the center of various fraud, racket and
corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense that is undertaken by a person or an organization that is entrusted in a position of authority to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's gain. Corruption may involve activities ...
scandals. FSB officers have been frequently accused of torture, extortion, bribery and illegal takeovers of private companies, often working together with tax inspection officers. Active and former FSB officers are also present as "
curator A curator (from , meaning 'to take care') is a manager or overseer. When working with cultural organizations, a curator is typically a "collections curator" or an "exhibitions curator", and has multifaceted tasks dependent on the particular ins ...
s" in "almost every single large enterprise", both in public and private sectors. Several unnamed current and former officials described the FSB as less effective than the KGB, describing it as "rife with corruption, beset by bureaucratic bloat and ultimately out of touch", in a report by ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' in 2022.'' On 29 December 2016, the
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...
accused and sanctioned the FSB and several other Russian companies for what the US intelligence agencies said was their role in helping the Russian military intelligence service, the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) disrupt and spread disinformation during the
2016 US presidential election Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 8, 2016. The Republican ticket of businessman Donald Trump and Indiana governor Mike Pence defeated the Democratic ticket of former secretary of state Hillary Clinton and ...
. In addition, the
State Department The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs o ...
also declared 35 Russian diplomats and officials
persona non-grata In diplomacy, a ' (PNG) is a foreign diplomat that is asked by the host country to be recalled to their home country. If the person is not recalled as requested, the host state may refuse to recognize the person concerned as a member of the diplo ...
and denied Russian government officials access to two Russian-owned installations in
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
and New York (state), New York. An investigation by
Bellingcat Bellingcat (stylised bell¿ngcat) is a Netherlands-based investigative journalism group that specialises in fact-checking and open-source intelligence (OSINT). It was founded by British citizen journalist and former blogger Eliot Higgins in Ju ...
and ''The Insider (website), The Insider'' implicated FSB agents in the poisoning of Alexei Navalny, poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in August 2020, where he became ill during a flight. It was reported that during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, FSB officers carried out filtration activities in Mariupol, which were accompanied by searches, interrogations, forced deportations to Russia, beatings and torture. According to an investigative report by , some of the suspicious deaths of Russian businesspeople (2022–2024), suspicious deaths of Russian businesspeople in 2022–2023 may possibly be connected to large scale Accounting scandals, accounting fraud by Gazprom executives, who may have funneled money to a network of businesses owned by friends and family members with ties to the FSB and Russian military.


Role in the Russian doping scandal

Following the broadcast of a documentary film alleging systematic doping in Russia, World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) president Craig Reedie authorized an Independent Commission (IC) to investigate the issues brought up by the documentary in 2015. The IC authorized a review of practices on whether there were any breaches by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency. The report found direct interference into the laboratory's operations by the Russian State undermined the laboratory's independence and that tests conducted by the laboratory were highly suspect. The report elaborates on the role of the FSB: In January 2016, the head of Russia's anti-doping laboratory Grigory Rodchenkov fled Russia and exposed the doping program, which included members of the FSB replacing tainted urine samples with older, clean ones. As a result of the scandals the International Association of Athletics Federations suspended Russia from all international athletic competitions including the 2016 Summer Olympics. In July 2016, the first McLaren Report found that "beyond a reasonable doubt" the Russian Ministry of Sport (Russia), Ministry of Sport, the Centre of Sports Preparation of the National Teams of Russia, the FSB, and the WADA-accredited laboratory in Moscow "operated for the protection of doped Russian athletes" within a "state-directed failsafe system" using "the disappearing positive [test] methodology". In a second McLaren Report released December 2016, it was found that
In the period before the Sochi Games, a "clean urine bank" was established at the FSB Command Centre, which was situated immediately adjacent to the Sochi Laboratory. Inside that building a dedicated room containing several large freezers was set up for the purpose of storing the clean urine samples.


Crocus City Hall attack

On 7 March the Embassy of the United States, Moscow, United States Embassy in Moscow warned that "extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow, to include concerts" That day, the US also privately warned Russian officials of the danger of an impending attack from IS–KP from intelligence gathered earlier in March, under the US intelligence community's "duty to warn" requirement, specifically mentioning the Crocus City Hall venue. Ten days after the attack it was reported that Iran had also warned Russia that a major "terrorist operation" was being planned, based on information gathered from IS militants arrested after the 2024 Kerman bombings. Three days before the Crocus City Hall attack, President
Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...
told the board of the FSB that Western warnings of a potential attack inside Russia were "provocative" and "resemble outright blackmail and the intention to intimidate and destabilise our society". On 22 March 2024, four Tajik Islamic State – Khorasan Province, ISIS–K gunmen launched an Crocus City Hall attack, attack on a concert hall in Krasnogorsk, Moscow Oblast, Krasnogorsk, Russia, with rifles and incendiaries. The attack, claimed by ISIS–K, killed 144 and injured 551 and marked the deadliest attack on Russian soil since the
Beslan school siege The Beslan school siege, also referred to as the Beslan school hostage crisis or the Beslan massacre, was an Islamic terrorism, Islamic terrorist attack that started on 1 September 2004. It lasted three days, and involved the imprisonment of mo ...
in 2004. Putin and the FSB suggested that
Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
was involved in the attack, without offering evidence.
Alexander Bortnikov Alexander Vasilyevich Bortnikov (; born 15 November 1951) is a Russian intelligence officer who has served as the Director of the Federal Security Service, director of the Federal Security Service (FSB) since 2008. He is one of the most powerfu ...
, the head of the FSB, said that "radical Islamists" prepared the attack with help from Ukrainian and Western "special services". Bortnikov claimed that the US warning was "of a general nature". IS-affiliated Amaq News Agency published a video filmed by one of the attackers. Ukraine denied any involvement in the attack, and described the FSB's claims that the perpetrators of the Crocus City Hall attack tried to escape to Ukraine as "very doubtful and primitive" Disinformation in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, disinformation, recalling that the border is heavily guarded by soldiers and drones, mined in many areas, and constantly shelled from both sides. A short video on Telegram allegedly showed one of the suspects being tortured by FSB agents, who cut off his ear and forced him to eat it. Navalny associate Ivan Zhdanov criticized Russian security services for their "catastrophic incompetence" and the FSB for being "busy with everything except its direct responsibilities – killing their political opponents, spying on citizens and Russian 2022 war censorship laws, prosecuting people who are against the war." Another associate, Leonid Volkov (politician), Leonid Volkov, said that the FSB "can't do the only job it really should be doing: preventing a real, nightmarish terrorist attack." ''Novaya Gazeta Europe''s chief editor, Kirill Martynov, criticized Putin for dismissing Western intelligence warnings and focusing resources on "Russian anti-LGBTQ law, LGBT extremists" and the war with Ukraine instead of guarding against "real threats".


Ukrainian invasion of the Kursk Oblast

In August 2024, Ukrainian forces August 2024 Kursk Oblast incursion, crossed the border into Kursk Oblast during the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine resulting in part of the oblast becoming under Ukrainian occupation of Kursk oblast , Ukrainian occupation. All legal national borders of Russia are controlled by the FSB Border Service of Russia, FSB Border Guard under the command of FSB director Alexander Bortnikov. Since most of the best Russian troops were deployed in Ukraine, most of the men guarding the border in the Kursk Oblast were young, inexperienced Conscription in Russia, conscripts from the FSB Border Service and lightly equipped army infantry units (all male citizens of Russia aged 18–30 are subject to conscription for 1 year of active duty military service), who suffered heavy losses in combat with experienced Ukrainian troops. Some of the conscripts stationed on the border with Ukraine were even purportedly unarmed.


See also

*Awards of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation *
Federal Protective Service Federal Protective Service may refer to: *Federal Protective Service (United States), a U.S. security police force responsible for the security of buildings owned by the U.S. federal government *Federal Protective Service (Russia) The Federal G ...
, government protection agency *Intelligence agencies of Russia *
SORM The System for Operative Investigative Activities (SORM; ) is the technical specification for lawful interception interfaces of telecommunications and telephone networks operating in Russia. The current form of the specification enables the target ...
, law that allows the FSB to monitor communications *Third Section of His Imperial Majesty's Own Chancellery *Vulkan files leak


Notes


References


External links

* {{Authority control Federal Security Service, 1995 establishments in Russia Government agencies established in 1995 Government of Russia Doping in Russia Russian entities subject to U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctions Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List Law enforcement intelligence agencies