Russian Intelligence Services: News & Discussion

Austin wrote:Looks like CIA has penetrated deep inside kremlin and Russian Intel

Russia Arrests Third ‘U.S. Spy’ in Cyber Treason Case

https://www.thedailybeast.com/russia-arrests-third-us-spy-in-cyber-treason-case

GarryB wrote:Why does Putin not order that the western media drop their investigations and witch hunts against him... he seems to be all fucking powerful so that should be easy for him to do....

It is OK though because he is causing climate change so we will all be dead soon anyway.... Mwah hah hah hah hah!

The same secret CIA source that said Hilary was going to win?

The same secret CIA source that said Saddam had WMDs that were just 45 minutes from use on allied forces... yet when western forces got into a position to actually check they were all gone?

Forget money wasted on all sorts of shit in the US they should look at how much money they spend on the CIA cause they aint worth shit.

A fucking monkey could come up with better secret reports than this.

Moscow. December 19th. Interfax-AVN - The group of Western countries has actually proclaimed a policy of dividing relations between the CIS countries, says Sergei Naryshkin, director of the Foreign Intelligence Service.

"The group of Western countries has actually proclaimed a policy of strategic easing, the imposition of a split in close relations between the Commonwealth countries and the inhibition of integration processes," S. Naryshkin said at a meeting of the Council of Heads of Security and Special Services of the CIS.

According to him, "after the deplorable results of the scenario of the so-called democratization of Ukraine, the main expectations of the US and a number of their obedient allies are associated with the gradual dismantling of the existing national leadership systems (CIS countries, IF).

"To date, their efforts in the CIS countries are aimed at intervening in democratic processes in the internal affairs of sovereign states," S. Naryshkin stressed.

Moscow. December 19th. INTERFAX-AVN - The scale of pressure on Russia and the CIS countries on the part of the US allows us to say that there is an undeclared hybrid war, says Sergey Naryshkin, Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation.

"The scale of the West's unfolding work allows us to speak about the undeclared hybrid war the US is waging against our states," S.Naryshkin said at a meeting of the Council of Heads of Security and Special Services of the CIS states.

He noted that "in the vanguard of the efforts to turn emigrant structures into so-called revolutionary cells are Great Britain, Poland, Sweden, the Baltic states."

"Obviously, it is possible to effectively confront such an assault only through joint efforts," the head of the SVR stressed.

Austin wrote:The United States leads an undeclared hybrid war against the CIS states - the director of the SVR
12/19/2012 12:20:00 AM

http://militarynews.ru/story.asp?rid=1&nid=469507

     

Moscow. December 19th. INTERFAX-AVN - The scale of pressure on Russia and the CIS countries on the part of the US allows us to say that there is an undeclared hybrid war, says Sergey Naryshkin, Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation.

      "The scale of the West's unfolding work allows us to speak about the undeclared hybrid war the US is waging against our states," S.Naryshkin said at a meeting of the Council of Heads of Security and Special Services of the CIS states.

      He noted that "in the vanguard of the efforts to turn emigrant structures into so-called revolutionary cells are Great Britain, Poland, Sweden, the Baltic states."

      "Obviously, it is possible to effectively confront such an assault only through joint efforts," the head of the SVR stressed.

     

On the eve of the Day of the Security Officer, the editor-in-chief of the "Rossiyskaya Gazeta" Vladislav Fronin met with the Director of the Russian Federal Security Service, General of the Army Alexander Vasilyevich Bortnikov.


Alexander Vasilyevich, December 20 Russian security agencies celebrate the centennial. And why do not you count your history, like other ministries and departments, for example, the Prosecutor's Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, since Peter's times - after all there were both intelligence and counterintelligence?

Alexander Bortnikov: Indeed, the structures that solved the reconnaissance and counterintelligence tasks that ensured the protection of law and order and the protection of borders have existed in one form or another in Russia since the formation of the centralized Russian state, but it was exactly 100 years ago that they were first built into an integrated system under a single beginning.

The coming anniversary is a good occasion to place the necessary accents and answer some controversial questions, including those that grow out of biased attitudes towards the events of past years. After all, as we know, the consideration of facts outside the concrete historical context deprives us of the opportunity to objectively assess the past, understand the present and predict the future.

That is, not everything that the general public knows about the activities of your Service is true?

Alexander Bortnikov: There are a lot of myths about security agencies, often very tenacious. The unspoken nature of the activity objectively does not allow in real time and in full measure inform the society about various aspects of the work being done. This contributes to the emergence of, say, a "halo of mystery" around the competent authorities and at the same time increases the public's interest in alternative, often unscrupulous sources of information about us. Some in the pursuit of sensation exaggerate the role of special services in the ongoing events, and someone frankly lies, solving propaganda tasks. Revealing facts, for example during the declassification of archives, do not immediately allow debunking myths that have already become habitual.

The attitude of society to domestic special services is very ambiguous and has changed many times depending on the political situation. What does the FSB come up with when assessing the activities of its predecessors?

Alexander Bortnikov: Answering this question, I would like to emphasize three important points.

First, historical conditions should be taken into account. Our Fatherland repeatedly became the object of hostile encroachment by foreign powers. The enemy tried to defeat us either in open battle, or with reliance on traitors inside the country, with their help to sow confusion, to disunite the people, to paralyze the state's ability to respond timely and effectively to emerging threats. The destruction of Russia for some is still an obsession.

We, as security agencies, are obliged to timely identify the enemy's plans, to preempt his actions and adequately respond to any attacks. In this sense, the most important criterion for evaluating our activities is its effectiveness.

About the security authorities created a lot of myths, often very tenacious
Secondly, the priority tasks decided by the security bodies are changing depending on the nature of the challenges and threats faced by the state at different stages. That is, for example, the tasks of the VChK differed significantly from the tasks of the KGB and even more so the FSB. This stipulated both the logic of the structural transformations of the special services, and the methods of conducting operational work.

And finally, thirdly, security officers can not be considered in isolation from society, with all its pluses and minuses. Society is changing, and we are changing too.

Today, FSB officers are often called chekists. Do not you confuse such parallels with the Cheka, which was created as a "punishing sword of the revolution"?

Alexander Bortnikov: Absolutely do not bother. The word "chekist" has long become a figure of speech. It is deeply rooted not only in our professional slang, but in principle it is widely used in the journalistic environment, in society as a whole. Well, we must understand that the activities of the current security agencies have nothing to do with the "emergency" of the early years of Soviet power.

Let me remind you that the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission for Combating Counter-Revolution and Sabotage under the Council of People's Commissars headed by F. Dzerzhinsky was created as a temporary body with special powers in the conditions of a critical situation in the country, the outbreak of the Civil War and foreign intervention, paralysis of the economy, rampant banditry and terrorism , the increase in the number of sabotage, the intensification of separatism. As you understand, the urgency of the situation dictated the need for emergency measures.

The Cheka was entrusted with the tasks of reconnaissance, counterintelligence, search, investigation and trial with the right to use the death penalty, later - protection of the state border, protection of the government facilities and the first persons of the state.

The Chekists successfully identified and prevented the subversive activities of foreign special services, terrorist, bandit and white emigre organizations, and also participated in ensuring food security.

At the same time, the struggle against the remnant of the Civil War - "red banditry" - was committed by the leftists of an inclined party activists and employees of the security forces who, under the guise of "revolutionary expediency," repulsed illegal reprisals, arrests and requisitions. The hard measures adopted by 1923 generally succeeded in preventing this criminal phenomenon.

A unified system of security agencies largely contributed to the preservation of the country's controllability in wartime conditions. In 1922, the Cheka, having fulfilled its mission, was transformed into the State Political Department under the NKVD of the RSFSR, and in 1923 - in connection with the creation of the USSR - to the United State Political Administration (OGPU) as an all-Union People's Commissariat. Before them there were already other tasks - ensuring the security and peaceful development of the young Soviet state. However, for decades ahead, the officers of the bodies firmly established the name of the Chekists. In other words, the history, experience and traditions that are reflected in this name are not limited only to the period of the existence of the Cheka, or, as you said, "the punishing sword of the revolution." It is much wider. And to disown the word "chekist"



Then, in the 1920s, the state security organs acquired the first experience of counterintelligence and even managed to outplay experienced Western spies?

Alexander Bortnikov: The work unfolded without the necessary professional training, the experience was developed "from scratch." The first significant success of Soviet counterintelligence was the disclosure in September 1918 of the "Conspiracy of Ambassadors" of the Entente countries under the leadership of the head of the British diplomatic mission, R. Lockhart, the diplomats attempted to organize an armed mutiny in Moscow and support the landing of British interventionists in Arkhangelsk.

In 1919, the Chekists exposed the British residency in Petrograd and Moscow, headed by an MI-6 officer, known as "a man with a hundred faces", P. Duks. This fact testified to the significance of this spy network for London. The British government included a demand for monetary compensation for the arrest and execution of a number of members of the Dux Group in the 1923 ultimatum of Curzon, which sharply exacerbated bilateral relations with the USSR and even put countries on the brink of war.

Disowning the word "chekist" is like giving oblivion to the generations of our predecessors

In the mid-1920s, as a result of the "Syndicate-2" and "Trest" operations that lasted several years, the Chekists stopped the subversive activity of a broad counter-revolutionary-terrorist underground, tied to emigrant circles and foreign service departments. At the same time, the newly created British intelligence network was opened and destroyed.

Agree, for the young special services, these were outstanding results.

But still for many bodies of the Cheka - the OGPU - the NKVD are still associated primarily with the repression of the 1930s. Did the Chekists themselves not understand what they were involved in?

Alexander Bortnikov: Let us turn again to the realities of those years. The Versailles world was regarded by the victor countries only as a temporary respite. Plans to attack the USSR were developed by them since the 1920s. The threat of an impending war demanded from the Soviet state the concentration of all resources and the utmost exertion of forces, the speedy implementation of industrialization and collectivization. But society has not yet recovered from the Civil War and devastation. Mobilization was very painful. The rigid methods of the state gave rise to rejection of part of Soviet society. Even inside the OGPU a conflict arose between Chairman G. Yagoda and his deputy S. Messing, who spoke in 1931 together with a group of like-minded people against mass arrests.

In the organs, "purges" began, which were further intensified after the murder of S. Kirov in December 1934. At the slightest suspicion of "unreliability", qualified employees were transferred to the periphery, dismissed or arrested. Their place was occupied by people without the experience of operational and investigative work, but ready for the sake of a career to fulfill any instructions. This is partly due to "excesses" in the work of the OGPU - the NKVD on the ground.

In total in 1933 - 1939, 22,618 chekists were subjected to repression, including the first Soviet counterintelligence agents A. Artuzov, K. Zvonarev and others. Only during the so-called Yezhovschina three-time renewal of the command staff of the counter-intelligence department of the Main Directorate of State Security (GUGB) of the NKVD occurred. In March 1938, the GUGB was completely eliminated.



Undoubtedly, among the Chekists, who, I repeat, were flesh from the flesh of the society that was then formed, there were very different people. This, and, unfortunately, the opportunists who adhere to the principle "the end justifies the means", but at the same time those who were motivated by selfless ideological motives. The latter, even when they themselves fell under the repressions, for the most part did not lose faith in the party and personally Stalin. Under L. Beria, some of them were returned to the security services.

So was there a real evidence base for these "purges"?

Alexander Bortnikov: Although many people associate this period with the mass fabrication of accusations, the archival materials testify to the existence of an objective side in a significant number of criminal cases, including the basis for known open trials. The plans of the supporters of L. Trotsky for the removal or even liquidation of I. Stalin and his associates in the leadership of the CPSU (b) are by no means an invention, as are the ties of the conspirators with the foreign service departments. In addition, a large number of persons involved in these cases are representatives of the party nomenclature and the leadership of law enforcement bodies, who are mired in corruption, and have abolished arbitrariness and lynching.

At the same time, I do not want to whitewash anyone. Specific executors of criminal acts among the Chekists are by name known, most of them suffered a well-deserved punishment after the displacement and execution of Yezhov. The court of history also took place over them: during the mass rehabilitation of the 1950s and the late 1980s, the verdicts on their cases were found final and not subject to revision.

Mass political repression ended after the adoption of the resolution of the Central Committee of the CPSU (b) and SNK of the USSR "On Arrests, Prosecutor's Supervision and Investigation" of November 17, 1938. Appointed to the post of People's Commissar for Internal Affairs, L. Beria restored the GUGB of the NKVD and conducted personnel "purges", expelling the careerists of previous appeals. Requirements to the quality of investigative work increased, which contributed to a reduction in sentences to the death penalty.

Different sources call different numbers of repressed. Does the FSB have accurate data?

Alexander Bortnikov: Back in the late 1980s, a certificate of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs was declassified in 1954 on the number of convicts for counter-revolutionary and other particularly dangerous state crimes, including banditry and military espionage, in 1921-1953. - 4 060 306 people. Of these, 642,980 were sentenced to death, 765,180 are exiled and deported. Archival materials show this. All other figures are controversial.

And to what extent did the security organs own information about the forthcoming war against the USSR?

Alexander Bortnikov: In the prewar years, priority was given to suppress the intelligence and sabotage activities of foreign special services, primarily the "axis countries" - Germany, Italy and Japan, who were preparing an attack on the USSR. In the active development there were special services of Poland, Finland and the Baltic States, who collected information about the Soviet military and economic potential, despite the fact that the leaders of these countries were in close contact with Berlin. Under tight control, all foreign diplomatic missions were deployed, from the position of which reconnaissance and subversive activities were conducted. As foreign diplomats and personnel scouts later recalled, they could not take a single step without the accompaniment of Soviet counterintelligence.

A strict counter-intelligence regime was established at industrial and transport facilities, thanks to which it was possible to prevent leakage of information about new industrial enterprises of the Urals and Siberia, the number of military formations of the Red Army in the Far East, and also about the latest military equipment, in particular, the T-34 tank. The selection and training of subversive and partisan personnel in the event of war with Hitler's Germany were conducted. The local population was increasingly involved in the protection of the state border: in 1940 alone, 5,176 violators were detained by members of the "assistance brigades".



In other words, did Stalin know about the impending aggression?

Alexander Bortnikov: Of course. Thanks to the work of Soviet intelligence and the deciphering service, the top leadership of the USSR was timely provided with information about the processes taking place in Western Europe and the Far East, the aspirations of the Axis countries, and the efforts of Britain and the United States that incited Hitler to military expansion to the East.

Security officers can not be considered in isolation from society
In particular, since 1940, intelligence data began to be received about the large-scale movement of military echelons to the Soviet border and the concentration of parts of the Wehrmacht there. Intelligence reported on the accelerated construction of new fortifications, airfields, warehouses and roads, partial or general mobilization of local population, the activation of German agents in the border area. Only from June 18 to June 22, 1941, 211 reconnaissance and sabotage groups and single saboteurs were detained and rendered harmless in Minsk direction. An increase in the intensity of radio traffic by encrypted messages was recorded, information was received about the publication in Germany of pocket German-Ukrainian dictionaries for infantry units. In addition, valuable information was obtained about the unwillingness of Franco's Spain and Turkey to declare war on the USSR,

That is, in the Kremlin was known and the day of the attack on the Soviet Union?

Alexander Bortnikov: Unfortunately, the extracted data on the specific day of the attack on the USSR were contradictory. A number of sources did not arouse the confidence of J. Stalin, since in previous years the information received from them either did not always find confirmation, or was very late. At the same time, we must remember that the Soviet leadership was seriously afraid of a blow from the United Kingdom and the United States. Especially after the "Munich collusion" and our intelligence obtained information about the joint intention of France and Britain in 1940 to attack the oil-producing infrastructure of the USSR. The situation was exacerbated by the active disinformation campaign of Germany, which tried to convince Moscow that military activity on the Soviet border is intended to disorient the UK, against which allegedly the aggression was prepared.

Nevertheless, the war began. How were the Chekists themselves ready for it?

Alexander Bortnikov: June 22, 1941 the first blow of the enemy took over the personnel of the border units stationed on the western sections of the state border. Some outposts, already in the encirclement, provided heroic resistance to the enemy from a few days to a whole month. The garrison of the Brest Fortress alone lasted as long as the armies of the major military powers of that period - France and Poland.

From the very beginning of the war, all members of the security forces were mobilized. They took part in combat operations in the composition of 53 divisions and 20 brigades of the NKVD, separate units and frontier troops. Only in the battle for Moscow fought 4 divisions, 2 brigades and the fighter aviation regiment of the NKVD. Our pilots carried out more than 2 thousand missions to cover Soviet troops and repel enemy air attacks. The regiment of transport aviation of the NKVD carried out flights to besieged Leningrad and provided special communication to the Supreme Command Headquarters with headquarters of fronts and armies. In 1943, the Red Army included a 70,000-strong army of NKVD troops, which became the 70th Army. It passed a heroic path from the Kursk arc to the capture of Berlin.

In the conditions of the rapid advance of the German troops, the security officers accompanied the evacuation of industrial enterprises and ensured their deployment in new places. The counter-intelligence regime was hardened in defense plants and other strategically important enterprises, which had to work without interruption and provide for the needs of the front. By November 1942 German intelligence activity in the deep Soviet rear was completely paralyzed.

Why did you need to create the famous Smersh units?

Alexander Bortnikov: After the failure of the "blitzkrieg" German special services - the "Abwehr" and the RSHA - have made serious changes in their tactics. The enemy staked on "total espionage" and mass training of agents from among those remaining in the occupied territories, prisoners of concentration camps, prisoners of war and representatives of emigrant circles. This required other approaches in the activities of security agencies. In April 1943, on the basis of the Department of Special Departments (military counterintelligence) of the NKVD of the USSR, two Smersh units were created within the framework of the People's Commissariats of Defense and the Navy. They were headed by V. Abakumov, who was in direct subordination to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, and P. Gladkov. Few people know that in the NKVD system, the counter-intelligence department Smersh, led by S. Yukhimovich, also acted,

Within a short period of time during the implementation of the "front-line measures", the Smershevets succeeded in creating reliable operational positions in German army intelligence agencies and in the training of agents, exposing many enemy saboteurs and changing spies, establishing effective channels for promoting disinformation, and strengthening the counter-intelligence support system for the Red Army operations. At the same time, the German special services failed to acquire a single agent from the Smersh staff, as well as at headquarters and other military command agencies.

Thanks to the brilliant counter-intelligence operations of the "Smershevists", not a single strategic plan of the Soviet command became an enemy's property. On the eve of the Battle of Kursk, the Wehrmacht was "blind and deaf," while the Stavka had information in advance and in full on the enemy's plans. Our pre-emptive strike on July 5, 1943 became a complete surprise for the Hitlerites. Similar conditions were created before the breakthrough of the siege of Leningrad, the conduct of the Byelorussian, Iasi-Kishinev and other operations.

In 1943 Smersh prevented an attempt on the life of Colonel-General L. Govorov, and in 1944 - against Stalin. In October 1944, as a result of a bold operation to seize the building of Hitler's intelligence center in Riga, a German intelligence card came into the hands of the military counterintelligence service, which allowed the further detection and exposure of a significant number of Abwehr spies. In 1945, German operative groups Smersh succeeded in obtaining valuable documents of German government bodies and special services - part of the archives of the RSHA, lists of German agents abandoned in the front-line areas of the USSR in 1942-1943 and others. In addition, a number of high-ranking figures of the Nazi regime and punitive bodies were detained.

Now the FSB of Russia is free from political influence and does not serve any party or group interests
In total, during the period of the Great Patriotic Security, 15,976 people were arrested for espionage in favor of Germany, 433 people in Japan, 2204 people in other intelligence services. Particular attention was paid to conducting filtration work. A reliable barrier was put to enemy spies, thousands of traitors from among Nazi collaborators and punishers were identified.

Soviet intelligence has made a great contribution to the cause of the defeat of the German war machine. The conduct of reconnaissance and sabotage activities, the creation of intelligence networks in the occupied territories, the misinformation of the enemy, the organization of the partisan movement were entrusted to the NKVD Department. Among his agents were the legendary scout N. Kuznetsov. The Chekists carried out complex operations at the intersection of reconnaissance and counterintelligence, called "radio games," during which operational data were obtained on the plans of the German command and intelligence services, spies were eliminated, and a large number of weapons and ammunition were confiscated. In addition, the NKVD formed a separate motorized rifle brigade of special purpose (OMSBON) - an image of modern special forces.

As part of the counterintelligence support of the partisan movement, operational-chekist groups began to be created in January 1942, which were often located directly at large partisan bases behind the front line. The tasks of operatives included coordination of reconnaissance and sabotage activities, an operational check of personnel, assistance in questions of conspiracy and intelligence, fencing from enemy agents and links with Nazi-created false-guerrilla groups. Largely due to the coherence of counterintelligence and partisan activities actively supported by the local population, the guerrilla movement brought the Victory over the enemy closer.

After the entry of the Red Army into the territory of Eastern European countries, the "frontier work" of security agencies began to gradually curtail. At the forefront of the operative measures to find Nazi criminals, accomplices of the invaders and the remaining enemy agents.

In the western regions of the USSR, there were numerous and well-armed nationalist gangs, previously collaborating with the Nazis, and now closely guarded by American and British special services. Bandits terrorized the population, made armed forays, sabotage and killings. Beginning in 1944, Chekist-army operations were carried out against large bandit groups, which can be compared with modern counter-terrorist operations. The operative liquidation of the leaders of nationalists and ordinary militants was facilitated by an agent agency created in the shortest possible time, consisting of local residents. By the mid-1950s, the underground was largely eliminated. However, the search and trial of war criminals continued until the late 1980s.



In fact, the war for the staff of the Soviet security agencies after the victory did not end?

Alexander Bortnikov: Despite allied relations during the Second World War, the geopolitical and ideological confrontation between Britain, the US and the USSR resumed to its end. As early as April 1945, the Joint Planning Staff of the British Military Command began the development of Operation Unthinkable on the attack on the USSR. Later "Fulton speech" by W. Churchill marked the beginning of the "cold war", and the creation of NATO further aggravated the situation.

The US intended to use atomic weapons tested in Hiroshima and Nagasaki against our country. Dozens of targets were set for bombing. By September 1945, there were 15 primary and 66 secondary goals. The "Dropshot" plan approved in 1949 presupposed the unleashing of NATO aggression, which was to begin with the bombing of 100 Soviet cities using 300 nuclear warheads. Information on these plans, obtained through the channels of intelligence and technical intelligence, was reported to Stalin in person.

But the same Americans still ahead of us in the nuclear project?

Alexander Bortnikov: Intelligence about the development of atomic weapons in fascist Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States came to Moscow throughout the war. The launch of the Soviet nuclear program was given in 1942, although developments in this field have been carried out since the 1930s. In August 1945, a special committee was established under the State Defense Committee to organize accelerated work on the creation of an atomic warhead (Problem No. 1), led by the People's Commissar for Internal Affairs L. Beria.

Since March 1946, the institutions and laboratories involved in the implementation of the "atomic project" have been affiliated with authorized counterintelligence agents.

These officers were needed in order to follow the scientists?

Alexander Bortnikov: No, they had other tasks. They had to promote in every possible way the material and technical support of scientific activity, guarantee the regime of secrecy, organize the protection of objects, scientists and designers. In addition, intelligence and counterintelligence services regularly supplied valuable information on foreign achievements in the nuclear field to the scientific teams, as well as samples of relevant equipment. So with the active assistance of security agencies, the Soviet "nuclear shield" was forged.

Foreign, as it is now customary to say, "partners" are unlikely to leave successes of Soviet scouts without an answer?

Alexander Bortnikov : On March 15, 1946, the Ministry of State Security was already confronted by a joint foreign intelligence community led by the United States.

In the context of the "Khrushchev thaw," the political, economic, scientific and cultural ties between the USSR and Western countries expanded, business and tourist trips of foreigners to the Union increased, which the foreign service did not hesitate to use.

So, in 1955 - 1956, among 40 American, British, French and other delegations and tourists attending various symposiums and exhibitions, 40 persons belonging to the cadre and secret service of foreign services were installed and put into operational development. In subsequent years, their number has steadily increased. Some of them were brought to criminal responsibility, and some were expelled from the country.

In the espionage activity against the USSR, the means of technical reconnaissance became increasingly used. For example, in 1955, seized US intelligence officers working under diplomatic cover seized portable radio electronic equipment intended to locate impulse, radar and radio navigational stations and missile control systems. Soviet airspace was regularly violated by US reconnaissance aircraft. Since the 1960s, the West began actively exploring space for espionage purposes.

The security authorities required additional measures in the sphere of protection of state secrets. The KGB solved the task of counterintelligence support of "closed cities", scientific research institutes and production associations, factories, experimental bases, and test sites. Counterintelligence agents introduced new methods of "legending" enterprises, masking ongoing work, testing the latest equipment, transporting military equipment, using equipment to install electronic and other disturbances to the enemy's technical intelligence facilities, conducting disinformation operations.

Is it true that it was precisely under Andropov that the policy of greater openness of the KGB and the results of its activity for Soviet society was taken?

Alexander Bortnikov: That's right. It was necessary to show the real role of our employees in ensuring the security of the Motherland. Numerous publications appeared in magazines, books and movies about the work of the state security bodies, based on declassified documentary materials.

During the period of his presidency, security agencies have made serious progress. The systematic approach to the organization of counterintelligence measures has become more widespread. The professional level of the staff, operational, analytical and technical capacity of the Office was significantly improved.

More flexible methods of protecting the foundations of the state system. The emphasis shifted to preventive and preventive measures and administrative measures. However, it was impossible to completely abandon the harsh actions. The terrorist attacks of 1977 in Moscow, committed by Armenian nationalists, showed that from calls for anti-state activities to a bloody crime, only one step. The criminals were detained and sentenced to capital punishment.

The results of our work are highly appreciated by the President and are widely supported by citizens
In general, the systematic work on combating terrorism has already begun to line up with the KGB after the terrorist attack at the 1972 Munich Olympics. On the basis of operational information, the Committee created records of persons suspected of terrorist and extremist intentions, as well as those associated with criminal and radical groups. In 1974, the legendary group "A" of the 7th KGB Directorate was formed to conduct counter-terrorist operations.

An important achievement of Yu. Andropov was the fight against corruption in government bodies and party structures. In the late 1960s and 1970s, two major operations were carried out in the Azerbaijani and Georgian SSR, which resulted in the arrest of hundreds of party functionaries at the district level. However, the uncovered corruption ties that dragged themselves into the apparatus of the CPSU Central Committee prevented the realization of many extracted materials. For example, after an interrogation of the first secretary of the Kuibyshev District Committee of the Moscow party, who was arrested for a 1.5-million-dollar bribe in the presence of the KGB Chairman, Leonid Brezhnev personally reprimanded Yu. Andropov. The Secretary General pointed out that the Committee's task is to protect the party nomenclature, and not to collect compromising materials on it.

In this situation, state security officials were forced to concentrate only on suppressing the channels of illegal enrichment of the party elite. A blow was struck against the "trading mafia". Having headed the Central Committee of the CPSU, Yuri Andropov held "cleansing" in the party tops. In Moscow, the Ukrainian SSR and KazSSR were replaced up to a third of leaders.

After the death of Yuri Andropov, the country began the processes that a few years later led to the collapse of the USSR. The KGB could influence this process and save the country?

Alexander Bortnikov: The team of reformers, headed by Mikhail Gorbachev, who came to power, despite the proclamation of Perestroika, openness and publicity, retained the ban on the operational development of representatives of the party elite. The Central Committee of the CPSU did not react even to counterintelligence information about the acquisition by foreign special services of "agents of influence" in the allied bodies of power.

"Agents of influence" is modern slang?

Alexander Bortnikov: No, this term was first used by Yu. Andropov in 1977 in a report to the Politburo "On the hostile activity of the CIA of the United States in the disintegration of Soviet society and the disorganization of the socialist economy through agents of influence."

It turns out that in the late 1980s the party leadership ceased to trust the KGB?

Alexander Bortnikov: Most likely, it considered it not necessary and important for itself. The operational and analytical materials sent to the Central Committee on a number of problems remained without attention. And the problems grew steadily: against the background of the deepening economic crisis, social and political discontent among the population was growing, interethnic and interreligious contradictions were aggravated, separatist tendencies were gaining strength. Mass riots and pogroms broke out in various regions of the country. However, the divisions of the KGB and other power structures headed for the "hot spots" invariably turned out to be trapped: the central government did not want to take responsibility for the suppression of conflicts, gave conflicting orders and eventually threw employees to the mercy of fate. This led to the erosion of the confidence of the "siloviks" in the country's leadership.

That is, the Chekists, despite all their enormous resources and experience, were left out of work?

Alexander Bortnikov: By that time, the KGB of the USSR had already been dismantled. In the struggle for power, the party elites of the union republics, sweeping local security agencies, expected to strengthen their own positions and weaken the influence of the Center. In May 1991, it was decided to create the KGB of the RSFSR under the pretext that Russia, unlike other union republics, did not have its security agencies, and in the future - its transformation into the Federal Security Agency. At the disposal of the latter began to move units of the central apparatus of the Union Committee, which was abolished by the end of the year.

A series of transformations and reassignments began. Formally, the Inter-republican security service began to perform the function of coordinating the security organs of the Union republics. In the independent departments were allocated to external intelligence, border troops, security services, government communications and some others. Most of the units entered the Ministry of Security, and then to the Federal Counterintelligence Service of the Russian Federation.

Surprisingly, in Russia at that time there was at all a functioning system of state security.

Alexander Bortnikov: Understanding the complexity of the country's situation, the staff made every effort to solve the problems facing them. At the same time, the Russian leadership, confronted with the uncontrollable growth of centrifugal tendencies in the country, which threatened civil war and the collapse of the Federation, also came to the conclusion that it was necessary to restore a full-fledged security system.

In April 1995, the Federal Security Service of Russia was created. At the legislative level, the lines of activity of the security bodies were clearly defined and state guarantees for observing the rights and freedoms of citizens were ensured when the special services exercised their functions. All this contributed to an increase in the effectiveness of operational work. Only in 1995 - 1996 the counterintelligence units identified and took under operational control 400 personnel officers of Western special services, including from the states of the former socialist camp, and 39 of their agents.

Foreign special services sought to gain access to secret developments in the defense industry complex, as well as information on the status and potential of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. The solution of this task to foreign intelligence services in many ways facilitated the growth of the number of "initiators" from among Russian citizens who decided to betray for the sake of personal enrichment - the state treasury was put on market lines.

A significant contribution to the strengthening of security agencies was made by V.V. Putin, appointed to the post of Director of the Federal Security Service of Russia in July 1998. During the period of his leadership, the structure of the Office was optimized, funding was increased and the basis for deep modernization of the material and technical base was laid, which made it possible to solve operational problems more efficiently.

In August 1999, the Office was headed by N. Patrushev. In 2003, the Federal Security Service of Russia included the Frontier Service and the leading units of FAPSI. This greatly enriched the special tools for ensuring the security of the country and generally increased the systemic and offensive actions of our Office. In addition, information on the results of the work of the Service has increasingly become public space, which has laid the foundation for building a constructive dialogue between security agencies and society.

The beginning of the two thousandth was remembered by constant reports about espionage games against Russia, although outwardly there was a "reset" and friendship with the same Americans. Or was it just an appearance?

Alexander Bortnikov: Indeed, at that time the great public resonance was caused by the results of our counterintelligence work. In 2000, when receiving from the professor MSTU. Baumann A. Babkin secret information about the new ultra-high-speed underwater rocket "Shkval" detained by US Department of Homeland Security Officer E. Pope. His guilt was proven by the court, but, based on the principle of humanity and considering the state of his health, he was pardoned by the Russian President and expelled from the country.

In 2003, the espionage activities of US special services were opened, which were placed in railway containers with cargo for the needs of American units in Central Asia, electronic reconnaissance means. But the permission for the transit of these convoys across our territory was an act of goodwill of the Russian leadership towards Washington. We have identified and seized more than one and a half hundred spy devices. The case ended with an international scandal and a note of protest from the Russian Foreign Ministry.

In 2006, after a long study of the routes for the movement through our capital of British diplomats E. Fleming, K. Pearce, M. Doe, and the staff member of MI-6 P. Crompton, two electronic transmitters were disguised as stone and intended to contact agents via wireless connection. All four were expelled from the country. The exposure of British spies after London's official assurances is that since the 1990s it has not been conducting reconnaissance in Russia, it compromised the UK. In addition, thanks to our work, the facts of financial support and coordination of activities of a number of Russian NGOs by MI6 have become public.

Today, foreign intelligence spies less in Russia?

Alexander Bortnikov: I would not say that. Foreign special services continue to strive to penetrate all spheres of our country's activities. Naturally, this is met with strong resistance from counterintelligence agents. So, from 2012 to the present time, 137 staff members of foreign service and their agents were convicted. In cooperation with other Russian authorities, the work of 120 foreign and international non-governmental organizations, which are an instrument of the foreign intelligence community, has been terminated. As a result of measures to protect the information constituting state secrets, 140 people were convicted.

How do you assess the level of extremist and terrorist danger. And how much special services are ready to repel such threats?

Alexander Bortnikov:Today, a nationwide system for countering terrorism has been built in Russia. Its functions include prevention and combating terrorism, as well as minimizing its consequences. Since 2006, the National Antiterrorist Committee and the Federal Operational Headquarters have been functioning successfully, anti-terrorist commissions and operational headquarters have been established in the regions. Legislatively enshrined mandatory implementation of government decisions. As a result of the measures taken over the last six years, the number of terrorist crimes committed in Russia has decreased by almost 10 times. In 2017, 23 acts of terrorism were prevented. Preventive work is being done to prevent the radicalization of various groups of the population, especially young people, their involvement in terrorist activities. Measures are being taken to counter the spread of the ideology of terrorism. The activity of more than 300 structural subdivisions of organizations of a terrorist and extremist orientation has been suppressed.

Over the past 5 years, more than 9.5 thousand people have been convicted for crimes related to terrorism and extremism. A significant amount of weapons, ammunition and explosives have been seized from illegal traffic. In fact, the bandit underground in the North Caucasus was completely eliminated.

Work is under way to close the channels for the transfer of militants from international terrorist organizations from zones of armed conflict in the Middle East, North Africa and the Afghan-Pakistani zone to Russia, as well as the departure of Russian citizens to these regions. To date, about 4,500 Russians have been set up, who went abroad to participate in military operations on the side of terrorists. Over the past 2 years, more than 200 people have been denied access. Filtration measures are carried out in migration flows. More than 1,000 people have been convicted of organizing illegal migration channels since 2012. Now, a number of priorities - the opening of "sleeping cells" of terrorist and extremist organizations, as well as countering single-player militants, whose attacks have recently occurred in many countries.

Vladimir Putin at the FSB Collegium thanked the staff for their successful work in Syria. You can reveal the secret, for which this gratitude was announced?

Alexander Bortnikov: The bodies of military counterintelligence ensure the security of the Russian troops at the airfield of Khmeimim. Terror acts and attacks are not allowed. Thanks to the intelligence information obtained by our operatives, a large number of special and military operations were successfully carried out.

How serious is the danger today on the part of our closest neighbor, Ukraine?

Alexander Bortnikov: We pay special attention to building a reliable barrier to threats from the current Ukraine. Measures are being taken to suppress the sabotage-subversive and terrorist activities of its secret services coordinated by the West, as well as to block attempts by Ukrainian nationalists and extremists to establish links with like-minded people in Russia and conduct destructive work in the Ukrainian diaspora. So, in 2016 - 2017 in the Crimea, neutralized 3 subversive and terrorist groups of the SBU and GUR Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. In 2016, in the Rostov region, members of the "Right Sector" were detained, preparing terrorist acts in Russian regions. The attempts of the SBU to establish drug trafficking channels in Russia have been revealed.

Major corruption investigations of recent years have become possible due to the operational development of the FSB, is not it?

Alexander Bortnikov: To begin with, in the sphere of ensuring economic security over 5 years, damage to the state in the amount of more than 900 billion rubles has been prevented. According to our materials, almost 13 thousand people were convicted for economic crimes, including corruption. Among them, federal officials, representatives of the governor's corps, heads of several ministries and departments, state corporations, enterprises and institutions. Despite the complexity and length of the collection of the evidence base, the need to unravel the multi-level illegal enrichment schemes under serious administrative pressure from the suspects, this work will continue despite the ranks and ranks.

There is a struggle against organized crime. Since 2012, the activity of about 300 criminal communities, headed by high-ranking officials, has been suppressed. 326 people were convicted of smuggling. About 23 tons of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances were seized from illegal circulation, more than 7,000 drug dealers were brought to criminal liability.

There is a winged expression "border on the castle". Is it relevant now?

Alexander Bortnikov: Certainly. Currently, the Border Guard Service, in close cooperation with the territorial units of the Russian FSB and military counterintelligence agencies, effectively counteracts the whole range of threats to the security of our country. For 5 years border guards have detained more than 25 thousand violators of the state border. Condensed 10 thousand. A set of measures is being taken to curb the illegal circulation of aquatic biological resources, primarily in the Pacific and Caspian regions. Among the priorities is the strengthening of Russian borders in the Arctic and border sections with Ukraine.

And how secure is Russian cyberspace? Did you manage to find sources of mass hacker attacks on the state Internet resources that were in the spring? In general, such attacks are a rarity or do they go on constantly?

Alexander Bortnikov: In recent years, ensuring the information security of our country has been brought to a qualitatively new level. Since 2013, with the leading role of the Federal Security Service of Russia, the State System for the Detection, Prevention and Elimination of the Effects of Computer Attacks on Russia's Information Resources, GOSOPKA, has been consistently increasing its potential. Computer networks of Russian ministries and departments, state corporations and leading banking structures are systematically connected to it. Its effectiveness was proved by the State Expert Committee during massive distributed attacks in 2016 and large-scale virus infection in May 2017, not allowing damage to the resources connected to it. In general, tens of millions of targeted attacks on official websites and information systems of state authorities are prevented every year, including the official Internet representation of the President of Russia. For crimes committed with the use of computer technology, since 2012, 358 people have been convicted.

Sometimes in the media you can see the FSB technique, literally amazing imagination. How effective is it in the field?

Alexander Bortnikov: We, of course, pay increased attention to strengthening the scientific, technical and combat capabilities of security agencies. This is the guarantee of the effectiveness of all our work. The commissioning of the newest models of weapons and special technical means, which have no analogues in the world, is being put into operation. A promising generation of unmanned aerial vehicles, control systems for ground and air robotic complexes, as well as armored transport and combat vehicles with increased cross-country capability, speed and security are being created. Modern technology has significantly expanded the capabilities of special units, border agencies, aviation and criminalistic support for operational and investigative activities.

Did the general cooling of relations between Russia and the West affect the interaction of the FSB with foreign partners? Do we continue contacts on the exchange of information with the US and special services of other countries?

Alexander Bortnikov:I assure you, in spite of everything, our international cooperation is developing quite successfully. Now the FSB of Russia maintains official contacts with 205 special services and law enforcement agencies from 104 countries, including 56 border structures of 48 states. Cooperation with colleagues is carried out both in bilateral format and on multilateral platforms. The results of the meeting of the heads of special services, security agencies and law enforcement agencies of foreign countries - partners of the Russian Federal Security Service are annually reported at the briefings of the UN Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee. Fruitfully functioning: the Council of heads of security agencies and special services of the CIS member states, the Commonwealth Anti-Terrorist Center and the SCO's Regional Antiterrorist Structure. Partners are well aware, that political tensions do not remove from the agenda such acute problems as international terrorism, transnational organized crime and criminalization of the information environment - these threats require systematic opposition from a wide range of competent structures. At the same time, in the course of our joint work, "naked rhetoric" is seldom heard, and more and more specific issues are being resolved.

Together with partners, the security of major international events held in Russia was ensured: Universiade 2013 in Kazan, the Sochi 2014 Olympics in Sochi, the Confederations Cup-2017, and various high-level political and economic forums. For our part, we also provide our colleagues with all-round assistance. The accumulated experience of interaction will be used to ensure the security of the important international events that are to be held in our country, especially the upcoming World Cup in Russia.

Recently, the FSB has been actively involved in norm-setting activities. What innovations could you particularly mention in this area?

Alexander Bortnikov: The directions and perspectives of departmental norm-setting are determined taking into account the international and domestic political situation, and also on the basis of the analysis of law enforcement practice. On our initiative, the institution of an official warning has been introduced on the inadmissibility of actions that create conditions for the commission of crimes classified as security agencies. New articles of the Criminal Code have been adopted providing for responsibility for complicity in the taking of hostages and the creation of an illegal armed formation, as well as for participation in illegal armed groups operating on the territory of a foreign state. Limited opportunities for the promotion of terror and the financing of bandit groups using Internet technologies. The time limit for bringing to justice has ceased to apply to terrorists, as well as institutions of conditional conviction and deferment of serving a sentence. Criminal liability for failure to report on the planned or committed terrorist act is established, for some crimes the age of application of punishment to 14 years is lowered. The list of information constituting state secrets is expanded. The procedure for the recognition by the Ministry of Justice of Russia of the activities of foreign and international non-governmental organizations in our country is undesirable if it poses a security threat. At the legislative level, the issues of protecting key sectors of the economy from computer attacks have been resolved, the duties of communication operators and the specifics of state control in the field of information security have been clarified. for some crimes, the age of the punishment is reduced to 14 years. The list of information constituting state secrets is expanded. The procedure for the recognition by the Ministry of Justice of Russia of the activities of foreign and international non-governmental organizations in our country is undesirable if it poses a security threat. At the legislative level, the issues of protecting key sectors of the economy from computer attacks have been resolved, the duties of communication operators and the specifics of state control in the field of information security have been clarified. for some crimes, the age of the punishment is reduced to 14 years. The list of information constituting state secrets is expanded. The procedure for the recognition by the Ministry of Justice of Russia of the activities of foreign and international non-governmental organizations in our country is undesirable if it poses a security threat. At the legislative level, the issues of protecting key sectors of the economy from computer attacks have been resolved, the duties of communication operators and the specifics of state control in the field of information security have been clarified.

You solve such a wide range of tasks. The personnel should have a high level of professional training ...

Alexander Bortnikov: That's right. One of the priorities of the Office is the mandatory and continuous professional development of personnel, the continuous improvement of the capabilities of the system of departmental education on the basis of modern techniques and technologies. Integration of the educational process with science and practice ensures the effective use of the potential of our universities and the applied orientation of education. Now in the system of the FSB of Russia there are 2 academies, 11 institutes and a cadet corps. In general, the training is conducted in 70 areas and specialties. We are extremely interested in ensuring that patriotically oriented young people join the ranks of students from our departmental universities and subsequently devote their lives to the security of our Motherland.

Not a festive topic, but still ... When performing combat missions, the FSB bears losses?

Alexander Bortnikov: Unfortunately, yes. We honor the memory of our comrades who died in the line of duty. Heroes' names are permanently added to the list of security personnel, assigned to educational institutions, streets and avenues, border units and ships, monuments, obelisks and memorial plaques are installed in their honor. There is comprehensive assistance to the families of the deceased, housing problems are solved, medical and sanatorium-and-spa provision is provided. Particular attention is paid to children. Monthly grants are established for minors and allowances. We help them to get a full-fledged education, solve problems of employment. Many are subsequently enlisted to serve in the security services.

Social support is provided to the veterans of the Service. In addition, our Office actively uses their professional experience and knowledge to improve the methods of official activity, to find ways to solve complex problems and to ensure the continuity of generations of security personnel. Veterans actively participate in the publication of books and teaching aids, the organization of solemn and memorial events, the preparation of documentary and feature films.

And how does the FSB build relations with society?

Alexander Bortnikov: The Public Council under the FSB of Russia, composed of authoritative representatives of the expert and business community, scientists, culture and the arts, is an effective tool for monitoring the activities of security agencies in respect of observing the constitutional rights and freedoms of citizens. It successfully solves the widest range of tasks: from public examination of the drafts of legal acts developed by our Office to the consideration of numerous appeals of citizens. Issued by the Council, the magazine FSB: Pros and Cons publishes exclusive materials on the development of security agencies, helps the audience to objectively look at various pages of the history of Russian special services and reasonably oppose attempts to discredit them, and makes a serious contribution to counteracting the falsification of Russian history.

Do you think that the society now has more confidence in the employees of the special services?

Alexander Bortnikov: In general, ensuring the security of the country is a complex and multifaceted process. It requires not only the mobilization of the forces and means of the special services, but of the entire state apparatus, as well as all-round assistance to citizens. Otherwise, the state can not be guaranteed to be protected from external and internal threats, and in a crisis situation - from bloody internecine conflicts and complete destruction. So it was during the collapse of the Russian Empire. The same thing was repeated on the scrapping of the Soviet era.

Domestic security agencies, after going through a difficult path, have learned important lessons from history. Now the FSB of Russia is free from political influence and does not serve any party or group interests. It builds its work on the basis of the Russian Constitution and federal legislation. Acts in the interests of ensuring the security of the individual, society and the state. The results of our work are highly appreciated by the President of Russia and every year they find ever wider support of citizens.

The trust of the society and the leadership of the country places increased responsibility on the security organs. The current generation of employees uses competently all the positive experience of operational work accumulated by their predecessors, develops it and introduces their own innovations. In the future, it will be transferred to a new shift, which will ensure the continuity of the process of improving the performance of our Office.

In conclusion of our conversation I thank the "Russian newspaper" for the opportunity to tell a wide audience about our history and today's work. I hope that we managed to place the necessary accents and remove some controversial issues.

I wholeheartedly congratulate the personnel and our veterans on the 100th anniversary of the formation of the national security agencies and wish you all good health, success in service and prosperity in the family.

miketheterrible wrote:Well, they went back to Russia so whatever it was, it was sanctioned by Russian government.

The Russians take counter terrorism very seriously while Americans don't.

Austin wrote:Australia Joins UK, US in Accusing Russia of 'NotPetya' Cyberattack

https://sputniknews.com/asia/201802161061715257-australia-russia-notpetya-cyberattack-blame/

Russian Olympic medalist Alexander Krushelnitsky has vehemently denied doping following his positive test for meldonium, declaring only someone with no common sense would use the substance in the lead-up to the Games.

Krushelnitsky won mixed doubles curling bronze in PyeongChang with wife Anastasia Bryzgalova. On Monday, the 25-year-old surrendered his Games accreditation and left the Olympic village pending a Court of Arbitration for Sport hearing. He has since issued a statement on the matter.

miketheterrible wrote:If the CIA likes to waste money on the whole doping thing in the Olympics, goes to show how printed Monopoly money can be easily wasted.

ATLASCUB wrote:

miketheterrible wrote:If the CIA likes to waste money on the whole doping thing in the Olympics, goes to show how printed Monopoly money can be easily wasted.

Half a drop in a bucket...you know it.  

Snowden:
The ballot stuffing seen today in Moscow and elsewhere in the Russian election is an effort to steal the influence of 140+ million people. Demand justice; demand laws and courts that matter. Take your future back.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UFIQamKbjg …

'German Snowden': Former Bundeswehr Officer Asks for Political Asylum in Russia

For Markus Bergfeld, whose children were allegedly taken away from the family and poisoned with psychotropic drugs, Russia is the last resort, the ex-German officer told the Russian newspaper Daily Storm.

German citizen Markus Bergfeld and his wife Sonja have applied for asylum in Russia. The Russian Embassy in Latvia confirmed the receipt of the application.

https://sputniknews.com/europe/201803181062655815-german-snowden-political-asylum-in-russia/



http://in24.org/world/31068?utm_source=politobzor.net

Sad that UK could convince France and Germany , I think OPCW would also agree eventually