On 24.02.2026. Vladimir Putin spoke at the Council of the national safety Service of the Russian Federation.
Vladimir Putin: Dear Comrades, dear Alexander Vasilyevich [Bortnikov]!
Yesterday we celebrated Homeland Defender Day, congratulating veterans and our soldiers who are presently fighting for Homeland. This unified, coherent combat formation includes the personnel and staff of the national safety Service.
The FSB makes an crucial and crucial contribution to ensuring Russia's sovereignty and protecting the safety of our citizens. In the past year, 2025, you and your colleagues have done their occupation with dignity in all key areas of work, working professionally and efficiently to neutralize interior and external threats.
I would like to thank the staff of the FSB office and regional troops for their service to Russia, their dedication and their individual courage.
I would peculiarly like to thank those straight active in the peculiar military operation – border guards, peculiar forces, military counterintelligence; all colleagues and agents who carry out the most crucial tasks of securing Russia's safety in our historical and border regions, Donbasa and Novorosia.
Last year more than 2,000 FSB soldiers received state awards for courage; 4 received the title of Hero of the Russian Federation and 1 posthumously.
I ask you to celebrate with a minute's silence the memory of the FSB officers who died on duty, our comrades in arms who died for Homeland.
(Minute of silence.)
Thank you.
(Returning to A. Bortnikov.) Alexander Vasilyevich, as always, we are talking about this with the Lord; I know that you are working on this: families require peculiar attention.
Dear participants!
Today's complex global situation, the violent escalation of conflicts in many regions of the planet and the ongoing peculiar military operation require the national safety Service officers to focus and concentrate supremely. It is essential to make full usage of human and method resources, as well as operational and analytical potential, in order to neutralise the possible risks in a timely and effective manner, effectively defend national interests and guarantee the stableness of Russia.
Above all, the fight against terrorism must be stepped up. The dynamics of key anti-terrorism indicators is clear and driven by the current operational situation. After a failed effort by Russia to defeat strategically on the battlefield, the enemy relies on individual and mass terrorism. It includes city fire, infrastructure sabotage and attempts to assassinate government and military representatives.
Another example: yesterday at Sawiołowski station, seemingly – this requires additional work from your side, but it's already seen that judging by everything, it was most likely a common online recruitment method – they planted an explosive device and then remotely detonated both its and its purpose, in this case the staff of the Ministry of Interior. Most likely, as Alexander Vasilyevich and I were just discussing, he did not really know it; it was the consequence of specified criminal, reckless behavior.
Incidentally, the enemy does not avoid another means. The media is most likely already reporting their attempts – or intentions – to usage even a atomic component. They most likely realize how this could end.
Our operational information is besides being provided to the media today; it should be published today, I have not yet had the chance to read it – it concerns the possible detonation of our pipelines at the bottom of the Black Sea. It is called the “Turkish Pot” and the “Blue Pot”. Looks like they can't calm down. They don't know what to do to ruin this peace process with a diplomatic solution. They are doing everything in their power to provoke and ruin anything that I say has been achieved in these negotiations. But we'll talk about it behind closed doors.
The situation that I have just mentioned: they cannot ask Russia a strategical failure, absolutely not, and they desperately want it. They cannot live without it – at least they think they cannot. They must absolutely defeat Russia. They are looking for all way – anything, absolutely nothing. They'll go to the last hotel and then regret it.
All right, let's get back to our current work. Last year the number of terrorist offences increased. And most of them, as in fresh years, are undoubtedly the work of Ukrainian peculiar services and their abroad collaborators. At the same time, the number of attacks on Russian infrastructure facilities, social and administrative institutions and residential buildings increased importantly – utilizing rocket missiles and various types of unmanned aircraft. In order to respond more rapidly and efficiently to specified threats, a number of additional measures should be implemented, including strengthening the safety of the energy sector. and transport infrastructure, as well as public assembly sites, supply maximum protection for critical facilities and, if necessary, supply additional protective equipment.
This work should be carried out under the coordination function of the National Anti-Terrorist Committee – by the way, it celebrates its 20th birthday this year. During this time, NAC made a key contribution to the creation and improvement of a modern anti-terrorism strategy in our country. The same energetic and aggressive work is especially needed today.
Together with another law enforcement authorities, the FSB must increase the level of safety of officials of the Ministry of Defence, the armed industry, representatives of government and local authorities, and educational and social workers, especially in our historical and border regions. This concerns full opinion leaders, journalists and volunteers who are constantly threatened by the government in Kiev.
In general, as I have already mentioned, we request to increase the effectiveness of anti-terrorism measures by emphasising pre-emptive and systemic prevention in the fight against terrorism.
Next. The strategy for the management of safety services in the area of peculiar military operations, in the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republic, in the Zaporosian and Kherson region and in border areas must be continuously improved. These services must be filled with highly qualified, experienced personnel prepared to act in any unusual, complex or dangerous situation.
Important additional measures should be taken to defend the state border. Its infrastructure, combat preparedness and method equipment of border services should be strengthened, and their operations should be closely coordinated with units of the Ministry of Defence, the National defender of Russia and the Ministry of the Interior, as well as with territorial structures and government agencies.
Counterintelligence units face critical tasks. This includes strengthening activities in the background of the SWO zone, providing counter-intelligence protection for combat units, critical industrial facilities, infrastructure, technological and technological centres, as well as more active recognition and disorganization of professional officers of abroad intelligence services and their recruited agents.
The protection of confidential, classified and classified information, in peculiar of military and strategical nature, including promising interior defence and civilian improvement solutions, requires peculiar attention. We have these achievements and their effects are already visible, clear to everyone and have already been presented. But there are others that are in progress.
Dear fellows!
The fight against extremism remains an urgent task of the national safety Service. crucial results have been achieved in this area in fresh years. We must proceed to stifle the criminal activities of those who advance the ideas of rusophobia, xenophobia and spiritual intolerance, thus trying to divide our society.
This year was declared the Year of the Unity of the Nations of Russia. Patriotism and Co-responsibility for destiny Our homeland has always united our nation. We must preserve, make and defend these traditions and respond firmly to attempts to undermine and weaken the foundations of Russia's constitutional order.
Therefore, peculiar attention should be paid to ensuring the comprehensive safety of the upcoming elections to the State Duma and another authorities. It is essential that they be held in accordance with the law, reflecting the authentic sovereign will of the Russian people and excluding any external interference in the election campaign. Neutralisation of specified threats is besides the task of the FSB.
Among the another priorities, I would like to emphasise economical security. In view of the strong force of sanctions, it is essential to proceed efforts to defend the rights of Russian companies and to actively combat crime in the financial and banking sectors. The effectiveness of import and export operations, the overall competitiveness of our legal strategy and the improvement of the investment climate in Russia depend mostly on this.
As before, the fight against corruption is an crucial task for safety services. It is essential to identify cases of fraud of funds for state defence procurement and national projects, as well as for the implementation of extended national and regional programmes.
I would besides like to point out that statistic evidence a crucial number of cybercrimes year after year, including cybersabotage planned by abroad intelligence agencies against our critical infrastructure. It is so essential to make and improve the State strategy for the Detection, Prevention and Relief of Cyberattacks' Effects on Information Resources of the Russian Federation.
In strict compliance with the law, it is crucial to proceed to guarantee the safety of the country's information and digital space and to implement fresh cybercrime measures in cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Digital Affairs and another applicable agencies.
Given the fast pace of improvement of information technology.
Dear Members of the Management Board!
In my introductory speech, I mentioned only a fewer key areas of safety services. I am convinced that you will proceed to carry out your tasks at a advanced level and, in cooperation with colleagues from another law enforcement and peculiar services, will guarantee reliable protection of the country from interior and external threats.
I number on you and want you further crucial results in your work.
Thank you very much.
http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/79216
Annex
Meeting with widows after heroically fallen soldiers of peculiar Operations Force
On Homeland Defender Day ( 23.02. – PZ) The Chief Commander met in the Kremlin with widows after heroicly fallen soldiers of the peculiar Operations Force.
Vladimir Putin: Good morning.
I wanted to meet you, specifically on 23 February, on Homeland Defender Day, due to the fact that you, as members of the families of our soldiers and officers, will always have a direct connection with this day – 23 February.
Unfortunately, your defenders, your family's protectors, are no longer with you. But the Homeland, in the defence of which they died and which they defended, will always be with you.
And present I wanted to talk to you about how life is going, about what you can and should do to aid you, to support you, and most importantly, to aid you get back on your feet and to aid your children get back on your feet.
You know that I am constantly talking about this and I request that representatives of all levels of power – urban, regional, national and ministry – constantly pay attention to these issues. And I will proceed to do so in the same consistent way.
That's what I wanted to say at first. I would like to hear from each of you, and then we will draw general conclusions and remarks. I am convinced that this will be useful to me in further developing my activities in this social sphere, which is very crucial to us.
Please, let's get started.
http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/79213
http://static.kremlin.ru/media/events/video/ru/video_low/ZspnwDZp3clzf7GC3C2r0K40TE979PeJ.mp4
(choice, emphasis and crowd. PZ)
