Managers and hosts at Russian state television channels have begun receiving security escorts from the National Guard (Rosgvardia), the outlet Agentstvo reported on Tuesday, citing four informed sources.
An employee of one federal channel said Rosgvardia chief Viktor Zolotov advised his management to acquire protection. According to the source, Rosgvardia now accompanies “almost all television bosses.”
Not everyone is pleased with the measure: besides security, the escort also implies constant surveillance, the source noted. The recommendation extends to TV hosts as well — one of them arrived at a birthday celebration in Moscow with a security vehicle, an anonymous party guest told Agentstvo.
Television top managers could previously be accompanied by departmental security subordinate to Rosgvardia, a third source said. Now security measures have been stepped up.
According to the outlet, reinforced protection from Federal Protective Service (FSO) officers also accompanies Ilya Medvedev, the son of Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev. The strengthening of propagandists’ security occurred in the first months of the full-scale war, when guards were assigned only to the most prominent television employees, Agentstvo noted.
In late August, Vladimir Putin for the fourth time since the start of the war increased the staffing of the FSO’s central apparatus — to 812 people.