Border Service of the FSB

Chief - Vladimir Pronichev

This service includes headquarters in Moscow, an intelligence department, regional directorates, and border troops along Russian frontiers.

From 1991 to 2003 the Border guards existed independently as the Federal Border Service (FPS)

On March 11, 2003, Vladimir Putin transferred the functions of the FPS to the FSB. In July 2004 the Border Service moved away from the direct principle of guarding state borders, to a regional, site specific function. In connection with this, instead of having dozens of regional border directorates, Russia would have seven of them within the borders of Federal Regions.

In addition, former departments (ie espionage, the rear, the border guards, the international legal and the maritime) were reformed into a directorate. The HQ's functions were transferred to the Organisational department, seemingly with a shake-up of functions in the Special Services HQ. The personnel department was retained, training work and several other management structures of the central apparatus.

In May 2005 a new structure was created inside the Border Service: the Coastal Defence of the FSB Border Service, and it's leader Vladimir Pronichev of the Border Service was raised in rank to Army General.

Structure of the FSB Border Service

Border control bodies
Foreign Intelligence
Operational bodies carrying out espionage, counterespionage, operational intelligence activities, activities to ensure the safety of Russia's Federal Border Service systems.
Border Guard bodies and other bodies under the border service responsible for upholding the Federal Law.
Border guards of the Federal Border Service of Russia
Military training and professional education institutions
Foundations and organisations under the Russian Federal Border Service

After the 2004 move away from the linear principle of defending the state borders, to a regional-site based apporach, the regional structure was changed, and instead of 10 regional border departments, see the old FPS structure, there were regional border directorates (within the Federal Regions) and 30 border directorates.