Circling the Lion's Den

Reforms of the Border Service of the FSB in the North Caucasus

The federal programme “State Border of the Russian Federation” 2003-2010 stipulated not only the construction of new buildings and the creation of modern living accommodation for Border Service' servicemen and their families, but also the construction and fitting out new complexes with modern systems for improving security along the length of the state border.

An article in “Krasnaya Zvezda” on 14 February 2008 covered a briefing by Lieutenant General Anatoliy Zabrodin, first deputy head of the Department of Border Protection of the Russian Border Service of the FSB (Pogranichnaya Sluzhba FSB: PS FSB), and head of its Operational-Organisational Directorate.

The General confirmed that under the integrated plan most of the requirements for improving border security in the North Caucasus region had been completed prior to 2007. Within the plan, according to General Zabrodin, out of 102 items, 81 had already been completed; for the remaining 21 painting and decorating was in the process of being finished.

Within the framework of the integrated plan and the first stage of reforming the border service in the Southern Federal District a complex of measures directed at the active construction of the infrastructure to improve and strengthen border protection had also been introduced. In the North Caucasus the construction of 72 border posts has been completed. They are all fitted out with modern technical border protection means and up to date weaponry, including military and special equipment. Several FPS detachments are situated on the border adjacent to Sochi in preparation for the approaching Winter Olympics (2014) to strengthen the border area there.

In the North Caucasus as a whole plans are well advanced for the creation of special designation border troops – FPS spetsnaz. In each FPS directorate based on earlier motor-manoeuvre groups, mobile action detachments have been formed. Moreover, a regional FPS spetsnaz has been formed, whose zone of responsibility comprises the Russian land border with Azerbaijan and Georgia. It is planned to include coastal detachments from the Black Sea-Azov FPS Directorate and FPS Directorates from Kalmykia and Astrakhan oblast’.

Major General Panchenko, Head of the Directorate of Technical Development of the PS FSB stated in Krasnaya Zvezda on 11 December 2007 that the Border Service now has the benefit of the departmental procurement procedures, and the technical-scientific potential of other FSB subunits.

This arrangement, he said, had resolved difficult questions relating to the technical kitting out of security organs: much has been done to exclude duplication of resources, such as weapons, military and specialised equipment which in turn allows a more qualitative approach in the resolution of competing organisational problems and the conclusion of state contracts.

Major General Panchenko emphasised that the search for up-to-date equipment for use in border protection was a constant and continuing process, though recently it had become more active. For instance in 2007 regarding technical work more than 10 different types of equipment had been taken into service, namely digital radar stations (RLS), control systems for land-border sectors, automatic and mobile radio posts, vehicles, heat seeking and signals equipment. Automated systems of control on independent maritime sectors of the border and in the North Caucasus were also being introduced. Work was continuing on the development of such systems on other land and maritime sectors of the border. At the end of 2007, he said, the engineer refurbishment of the state border project in the Caspian direction would be near completion. There, new technical observation posts (PTN) were to be brought into operation with complete life support systems. The PTN's information resources were to include new generation digital RLS and modern means of identification and recognition of targets: optical electronic, optical and heat-seeking means of observation; an automatic identification system, as well as modern secure communications.

The “State Border of the Russian Federation” (2003-2010) was designed to bring into effect a reliable “belt of security” on the territory of Chechnya. The PS FSB' Chechen Republic Directorate has already created 10 new border detachment complexes. The “Meshekhi” and “Tongakhoy” complexes have been built and border guards are quartered there under conditions doubtless similar to the to the well-appointed barrack accommodation enjoyed by the two mountain brigades.31 The FPS in the Chechen Republic was included in the federal programme for the transition to contract manning: with effect from 2006 only contract servicemen were being recruited into the directorate. Furthermore around 70% had signed a second contract.

However, along the Chechen sector of the state border there are no border crossing points in place. The only official crossing points are located in North Osetia-Alania (Verkhnyy Lars/Kazbegi) and in Dagestan despite the road which follows the course upstream of the Chanti-Argun river, via Itum-Kale to the Checheno-Georgian border some 6-7 miles kilometres from Shatili.

As in Chechnya, the Dagestan Border Service Directorate has been engaged in the completion of the 2003-2010 federal programme in constructing border installations. By the end of 2007 there were 18 detachments and by the end of 2008 a further 10 will be brought into operation, including new border service installations along the Caspian coast. In the Caspian Sea, the FPS has two guard ships “Mangust” and “Mustang”, together with a passenger-cargo vessel and several tens of motor launches. Furthermore several ‘ekranoplan’ air/sea craft have also been allotted: with seating for a dozen men. Two crewmen with a section of border guards might stand a greater chance of apprehending the baydy, the very fast craft belonging to the Caspian poacher fraternity.

As a result of the structural reorganization effected on 1 September 2007 four new FPS detachments have been created, namely in Khunzakh, Akhty, Derbent and Kaspiysk. Box 3 below provides an outline of their tasks.

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Agentura.Ru March 2011