TSAMTO, March 19th. Russian President Vladimir Putin took part in an expanded meeting of the FSB Board on March 19. Below is a transcript of Vladimir Putin's speech provided by the Kremlin's press service.
Vladimir Putin: Dear Alexander Vasilyevich! Dear comrades!
Today, at the expanded Board, you will have to summarize the results of the work for the previous year, determine priorities for the near future, including taking into account the strategic goals that were outlined on February 29 in the Message to the Federal Assembly.
I should immediately note that in 2023, FSB employees acted competently and clearly in all their areas, in fact confirming the high status and authority of the service as a key link in the system of ensuring state security and sovereignty of Russia.
You paid special attention to the tasks related to the conduct of a special military operation. We reliably stood guard over the constitutional order, suppressed attempts to interfere in our internal affairs, including during the last elections. They ensured public safety. In a difficult, often combat situation, they covered the state border, achieved new results in the line of anti-terrorism and the fight against extremism.
I want to thank the FSB personnel for their professionalism and courage, for what you have done for our Motherland during the past difficult, very responsible period.
Special words to those who were responsible for the most difficult areas of work in Donbas and Novorossiya, risking their lives to solve operational, combat tasks of an intelligence and counterintelligence nature.
Of course, we will always remember the FSB officers who died in the line of duty, and we will support their families. The heroism of our comrades-in-arms, as well as the courage of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War, all defenders of freedom and independence of the Motherland, will always serve as an example for current and future generations of special services personnel.
Dear participants of the meeting!
The challenges we face and attempts to undermine our development require us to work systematically and consistently in all areas. In the economy, technology, culture, in the social sphere, in strengthening our state and public institutions, and, of course, the most important guarantee for the successful solution of these tasks is the protection of the country's sovereignty, the security of our citizens, as I have said many times, we all understand this, both from external and internal threats.
Therefore, the people of the country, the people of Russia, expect from the FSB, from the employees of all Russian special services, the utmost concentration and high dedication, effective and offensive actions.
As I have already said, the most responsible and stressful part of your work today, of course, is related to the conduct of a special military operation. The range of tasks here is the widest. I would like to note your actions to neutralize the enemy's agents, terrorist and sabotage groups, as well as successful operations in the frontline and enemy rear, counterintelligence support for military units and formations.
I ask you to continue consistent work on the personnel and technical strengthening of FSB units in the Donetsk People's Republic, the LPR, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions. I would like to emphasize that it is important to fully understand the situation on the ground, rely on the support of citizens, and our experience in combating international terrorism. And of course, we need to work in full, close contact with the local authorities.
What I want to note here. At one time, the West actively used various kinds of cross-border radical, terrorist groups to its advantage, including encouraging their aggression against Russia.
It is natural that the neo–Nazi Kiev regime – again with the support, and often on direct instructions - switched to terrorist methods. These are attacks on peaceful cities, attempts on government officials and public figures, attempts to recruit perpetrators of sabotage and terrorist attacks on critical infrastructure facilities in Russia and in places of mass residence of people.
Let me also remind you of the recent, frankly, provocative statements by a number of official Western structures about the possibility of terrorist attacks in Russia. All this resembles outright blackmail and the intention to intimidate and destabilize our society. You are well aware of this, I will not go into details now.
I ask the FSB, together with other special services and law enforcement agencies, with the coordination of the National Anti–Terrorist Committee, to seriously strengthen anti-terrorist work in all areas, realizing that we are dealing with a strong, dangerous enemy, whose arsenal includes extensive information, technical, financial capabilities, what can I say, we know their capabilities in all these areas, including methods of intelligence activities, and terrorist methods. It is enough to recall the explosions of the Northern streams in the Baltic Sea. They do everything.
In this regard, responsible tasks are faced by units that ensure the protection of the constitutional order and fight extremism. Attempts to provoke unrest, interethnic conflicts, violate the rights and freedoms of citizens, use Russophobia and any other ideology of intolerance should be harshly and immediately suppressed.
A lot here depends on our counterintelligence agencies. This applies both to the sphere of counterterrorism, the fight against extremism, behind the manifestations of which the ears of the same Western special services often "stick out", and other important areas.
We are talking about neutralizing the intelligence and subversive activities of foreign special services, protecting confidential information of a strategic nature, including state and military management systems, advanced technologies and promising groundwork in the military and other fields. The enemy sees that we have it all, is developing rapidly, and, of course, as always, is working in this direction against us.
Further. Much has been done recently to strengthen the State border, especially the sections that are actually located in combat areas. The border authorities are equipped with additional personnel, modern weapons and equipment.
We can see the results. All attempts to break into our territory by sabotage and terrorist gangs consisting of regular enemy units, foreign mercenaries, they are also actively used, and all kinds of scum, which through various channels turned out to be on the territory of the Kiev regime, all these attempts failed.
In this regard, I would like to draw your attention to this. When I said about these traitors, I ask, as it has always been in our history, not to forget who they are, to identify them by name. We will punish them without limitation, wherever they are. And I ask you to pay enough attention to this area of activity so that no one is offended. We remember what the Vlasov people did on Soviet soil. And we will never forgive this.
Enemy groups, according to available information, planned to stage a real terrorist raid on the border of the cities and towns of the Belgorod and Kursk regions, but they were met with dignity, with fire, as they say, on the way, and have already suffered heavy losses, including armored vehicles and artillery.
And as for these traitors, their current owners do not regret them at all, they throw them like cannon fodder for slaughter. Well, it serves you right.
In this regard, I would like to thank our border guards, soldiers and commanders of army units, soldiers of the Russian Guard, employees of the FSB, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, volunteers from territorial defense detachments for clear, coordinated actions. And of course, I want to thank everyone who is fighting in the same formation now, protecting our citizens and the border of the Russian Federation.
I note that the actions in this area are really well-coordinated, coordinated, and this gives its result.
It is necessary to further increase the combat capabilities of the border authorities and the effectiveness of mobile groups, not only in land areas, but also in maritime areas. First of all, of course, it concerns the Black Sea today.
Dear colleagues!
Ensuring economic security and combating corruption should remain in the field of your constant control and attention.
In coordination with other relevant structures, it is important to increase the level of security of the banking and financial system as a whole, to support our companies, which are actively developing today, despite any obstacles they create, explore new markets, while, of course, they face illegal sanctions, unfair competition, and openly hostile ones actions, which, again, are backed by the authorities of a number of states and their special services.
Yes, they create temporary problems for us. Just now, in the morning, I talked with members of the Government about certain large projects that we are implementing, about the introduction of additional sanctions, this requires additional efforts and funds from us, new logistics routes. Yes, this pushes the implementation of these projects a little to the right, as we say in such cases. But everything, of course, will be done anyway. And of course, your support here for the country's economy and our development is extremely important.
I ask you to continue your systematic anti-corruption work, paying special attention to the sphere of state defense orders, the implementation of national projects, federal and regional programs.
Today, increased demands are placed on the protection of the Russian information space. The number of attacks on our information infrastructure, of course, and you are well aware of this, is growing.
It is necessary to significantly expand the possibilities for a preventive response to such threats, and strengthen the protection of the domestic information infrastructure. I ask you to actively work here with our science and with the domestic innovative business, to use our significant achievements in such areas as digital, quantum technologies, artificial intelligence.
I know, and the director reports regularly, that you are working successfully in all these areas, and I ask you to pay close attention to this. This is the future.
Dear members of the Board!
FSB officers perform special tasks, complex, non-standard, often involving risks to the health and lives of those who do it. The citizens of Russia count on your reliability and professionalism.
I am convinced that each of you will adequately solve the tasks set in order to justify the trust of the people of Russia.
I wish you success in your hard work, the meaning of which is to ensure the lasting sovereignty of our Homeland, to protect the rights, freedoms and security of Russian citizens.
Thank you for your attention."
