President Putin's powerful secret protection team
Not as well known as the US Secret Service, the Russian Federal Protective Service (FSO) is responsible for protecting President Vladimir Putin and much more...
» Russian President Putin's luxury supercar revealed
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| Mr. Putin and his bodyguards during an appearance in Vienna (Austria) in 2014. Photo: TASS |
According to Rossiyskaya Gazeta, the FSO is considered the most powerful and secretive security agency in Russia. All of their activities are based on conjecture because no official data or reports have been published.
For 16 years, the FSO was led by General Yevgeny Murov, a longtime ally of President Vladimir Putin who rose through the Leningrad power structure in the late Soviet Union. Murov took over the post just 11 days after Putin became president.
In May 2016, Mr. Putin accepted the resignation of General Murov, who was then nearly 70 years old, and appointed his deputy Muscovite Dmitry Kochnev to replace him.
What is interesting about Kochnev is that he is known as "the man without a background", apparently, because no information about Kochnev can be found on the Kremlin or FSO portals.
It is only known that Kochnev has been leading the presidential security service - a sub-unit of the FSO - since late 2015, and that his wife's income in 2015 was $830,000 - unusually high.
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| Mr. Putin in Tambov city, Russia in 2012. Photo: TASS |
The protectors of the "number 1 VIP"
The roots of the FSO lie in a branch of the KGB (Committee for State Security) – a powerful Soviet-era security agency responsible for the security of high-ranking officials, much like the FSO is today.
There are many thrilling stories about the FSO's mission to protect the "number one" person. For 15 years, rumors have spread that the agency has used a double who looks exactly like Mr. Putin in dangerous performances, such as diving to the bottom of Lake Baikal, flying fighter jets...
In an interview with Kommersant newspaper last year, Alexei Dyumin, governor of the Tula region and former bodyguard of President Putin, recalled a thrilling incident from a long time ago.
The story goes that after the rebels in the Republic of Chechnya were defeated, Mr. Putin visited the region. When returning to Moscow, whether by accident or on purpose, he boarded a backup helicopter instead of the main plane.
Mr Dyumin tried to warn the President that he was on the wrong helicopter, but Mr Putin ignored him. The helicopter carrying Mr Putin later flew back safely, while the other helicopter carrying Dyumin and several others caught fire and had to make an emergency landing.
"At that time I thought what happened?" - Mr. Dyumin recalled, unable to help but admire President Putin's luck.
People who work for the FSO, like Mr. Dyumin, are considered to be absolutely trustworthy. They not only protect the Russian President, but also keep judges, witnesses, officials... and important locations such as the Kremlin and the Parliament building (Russian Duma).
Although it is quite rare, the Russian media occasionally comes across some "selfies" or personal information of some FSO employees on social networks. Perhaps some of them cannot resist the temptation to "show off" a little to their friends!
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| Mr. Putin holds a photo of his father, a veteran of the Great Patriotic War, during a march in Moscow in May 2016. Photo: TASS |
Mr. Putin's foreign trips are no less elaborate than those of the US president. For example, during his trip to Greece in May 2016, Mr. Putin's means of transportation included a giant Antonov transport plane, three armored limousines equipped with heavy weapons and electronic devices.
Before Mr. Putin arrives, a special plane carrying security equipment will arrive in advance to prepare. A secure electronic net will surround the Russian leader throughout the trip. Electronic equipment and weapons capable of shooting down drones, helicopters, etc. will also be deployed.
Putin's three limousines look identical so that any would-be attackers will have no way of knowing which one he's in. In addition, the Russian president's bodyguards include 70 "graduates" of the Spetsnaz special forces, a unit described as being made up of "superhuman" members.
Omnipotent Agency Under General Murov, the FSO is said to have been engaged in a power (and money) struggle with the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Presidential Property Management Service (Rosimushchestvo). And they won. According to RBK news agency, today there are no presidential estates under the management of Rosimushchestvo, instead they are controlled by the federal government or the FSO. Federal infrastructure projects, multi-million dollar contracts, state budgets... all have the shadow of the FSO behind them. In many ways, the FSO is truly an all-powerful security agency. FSO officers have the power to conduct investigations, wiretaps, search correspondence, arrest citizens, search homes, requisition cars, and more. In addition to protecting key state facilities, the FSO also controls the routes leading to these places. One out of every 12 streets in Moscow is under the control of the FSO, and they have all the information about residents or anyone living in those areas. The FSO also conducts numerous social polling projects, of course in secret, and passes this data on to the highest levels of Russian leadership. It is believed that President Putin, the Security Council and the Russian Government rely on the information collected by the FSO to make a number of decisions. Even more interesting, the story goes that if any Russian governor suddenly resigns one day because he feels "incompetent", then surely there is a little help from the FSO behind it! Monitoring the socio-economic situation of regions in Russia is also a task of the FSO. |
According to Tuoi Tre
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