Russian security services have thwarted 30 foreign spies and more than 200 foreign intelligence collaborators so far this year, President Vladimir Putin said Thursday.
Putin, a former intelligence officer, made the comments at an award ceremony for Russia’s highest-ranking officers. “A major threat to Russian security is terrorism,” he told them.
“In 2017, officers from the Federal Security Service prevented 43 terrorism-related incidents. Dozens of terrorists were killed, about 800 members of armed groups detained, and 66 terrorist and extremist cells were destroyed.”
Putin also spoke of the importance of collecting and analyzing intelligence to forecast events “especially close to our borders” to ensure Russia’s security.
According to the Kremlin, the officers receiving the awards included those who had “taken part in the anti-terrorist operation in Syria.”