The expansion of Russia’s Federal Protective Service’s (FSO) central apparatus by 12 percent since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine points to growing concern in the Kremlin over Putin’s personal security.
The repeated expansion of the president’s security apparatus reflects the regime’s growing distrust of other security structures and its perception of internal risks as real. This is turning the FSO into Putin’s personal “guard” and one of the centers of influence within the system.
In the long term, strengthening Putin’s inner security perimeter makes the Russian regime more fragile. The more resources it takes to protect one individual, the more clearly it signals the regime’s uncertainty about its own stability and the loyalty of the elites.
by The Jamestown Foundation – Putin Expands Federal Protective Service
