In Moscow and Crimea, Ukrainian saboteurs are a thorn in the FSB's side

Donetsk takes a page from Russia's anti-terrorist playbook 

The self-proclaimed republic of Donetsk's main security and intelligence institution has handed the keys for its security infrastructure to Russian emissaries.

The thriving French networks of Russian deputy PM Khusnullin 

The Russian deputy PM for construction and regional development Marat Khusnullin is very well-connected in France, counting among his valuable contacts former French minister Maurice Leroy, as well as Gérard Mestrallet, who headed a number of major French utility companies.

Counter-influence expert looking for funding to develop cyber activities 

EdgeTheory, a service provider to the US intelligence community, wants to extend its expertise to cyber and has approached lobbyist Alpine Group Partners to look for funding.

Financial incentives and social perks aplenty to attract new Russian intelligence talent 

A series of measures has been taken since the start of the year in Russia in response to the country's military and intelligence human resource needs. The plan is to hire more broadly and improve the attractiveness of jobs in the security apparatus.

Kremlin ploughs more funding and staff into Russian Federation Investigative Committee 

Russia's 2023 budget earmarks more funding for military investigators for the Russian Federation Investigative Committee, whose director Alexander Bastrykin has an in-tray overflowing with Ukrainian 'war crimes', sabotage, foreign agent and corruption cases.

• FRANCE - DGSI's new recruitment cell.
  

• RUSSIA - A new deputy for Zolotov.

• ISRAEL/ALBANIA - Tel Aviv pledges cyber security boost to Tirana.
  

• FRANCE/RUSSIA - Moscow loses case in Paris court.

New FSB special forces chief takes charge 

Alexander Bondarenko is the new commander of the FSB's special forces and will oversee counter-terrorism, critical infrastructure protection and operational support operations in Ukraine. Predecessor Alexander Tikhonov is stepping down following a legal scandal.

Vladimir Selin: the FSB's man in charge of protecting state secrets 

Vladimir Selin, head of the Federal Service for Technical and Export Control, also heads the inter-ministerial committee for the protection of state secrets, which is tightly controlled by the FSB. Its main purpose is to oversee the systems used to protect vital, strategic information.

Moscow's new high command embarks on three-stage scorched earth offensive 

Surrounded by powerful rivals, new Russian commander in Ukraine Sergey Surovikin is looking to establish his authority with an audacious battle plan. His aim is to retake lost Ukrainian territory, force Kyiv to negotiate and win the confidence of Vladimir Putin.

• FRANCE - Tracfin seeks new chief to boost technical department. 

• ISRAEL/EGYPT - Ronen Bar on reconciliation mission in Cairo. 

• RUSSIA - FSB coast guards take the plunge.

• UKRAINE - Death a regional SBU head sparks probe. 

Ukrainian and Russian intelligence services keep close watch over Kerch Strait Bridge 

The Russian bridge over the 35 km-long strait, which has both symbolic and strategic importance, has been kept under increased surveillance by both the Ukrainian and Russian intelligence services in recent months.

FSB keeps close watch on Caucasian borders 

The FSB's border patrol is hard at work in the highly volatile Caucasus region, along Russian borders with Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. The number of control sites is growing and growing.

Ukraine parliament to vote on intelligence role for military commandos 

With tensions with Russia rising exponentially and Ukraine's SBU currently undergoing reform, Kyiv may entrust its military special forces with more intelligence and counterintelligence missions.

Changes in FSB regional heads highlight rising stars 

While FSB officers' assignments are often the subject of fierce rivalries between ambitious young men, the positions of regional heads are kept for the most promising among them. The new postings give a glimpse of some of Moscow's future leaders but also reveal those who are being dispensed with for having not met Russia's domestic spy agency's expectations.