Russian President Vladimir Putin has increased the maximum staffing of the central apparatus of the Federal Protective Service (FSO) from 785 to 812 military and civilian personnel. The decree was signed on August 31, The Insider reports.
The FSO, which provides security for the president, prime minister and other top officials, has seen its central apparatus grow for the third consecutive year. Since late 2022, its staffing has increased by 87 people — roughly 12%.
In December 2022, the limit was raised from 725 to 760 people, in January 2024 to 775, and from January 1, 2025 to 785. Before late 2022, the staffing level had not changed for nearly 13 years: the figure of 725 had been in effect since March 2010.
As The Moscow Times notes, this is the first expansion since the start of the war that did not occur at the beginning or end of the year. In a draft decree published in June, the FSO did not explain why it needed an additional 27 staff positions. The document provided for the new rules to apply to legal relations arising from July 1.
According to Financial Times data cited by The Moscow Times, the FSO has sharply intensified security measures around Putin in recent months. The Kremlin has grown concerned that the president could become the target of an assassination attempt, including via drones or during an attempted coup. Fears intensified after US military forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Putin has reduced the number of visits, and checks on people who meet with him have become stricter. During a trip to Kazakhstan in late May, his motorcade was accompanied by an armored vehicle with a machine-gun mount, a vehicle with electronic warfare systems and a helicopter. According to FT data, Putin and his family have almost stopped appearing at residences in Moscow and on Valdai, preferring to spend weeks in bunkers, including in the Krasnodar region.
The FSO is responsible not only for the physical protection of the country's leadership. According to the service's regulations, it provides personal security for the president, members of his family and other protected persons, protects state residences, provides special communications and handles information and analytical support for the president and the government.