132-407: Igor Vsevolodovich Girkin (Russian: И́горь Все́володович Ги́ркин , IPA: [ˈiɡərʲ ˈfsʲevələdəvʲɪdʑ ˈɡʲirkʲɪn] ; born 17 December 1970), also known by the alias Igor Ivanovich Strelkov (Russian: И́горь Ива́нович Стрелко́в , IPA: [ˈiɡərʲ ɪˈvanəvʲɪtɕ strʲɪlˈkof] ), is a Russian army veteran and former Federal Security Service (FSB) officer who played a key role in
264-630: A "counter-terrorism" operational regime under the FSB was introduced in Kursk , Bryansk and Belgorod Oblasts . This means in practice that "movement is restricted, vehicles can be seized, phone calls can be monitored, areas are declared no-go zones, checkpoints introduced, and security is beefed up at key infrastructure sites." In 2011, the FSB said it had exposed 199 foreign spies, including 41 professional spies and 158 agents employed by foreign intelligence services. The number has risen in recent years: in 2006
396-618: A center of the 2022 North Caucasian protests against mobilization . In 2023, during the Hamas-Israel war , there were a wave of antisemitic attacks across the North Caucasus, including Dagestan. The parliament of Dagestan is the People's Assembly , consisting of 72 deputies elected for a four-year term. The People's Assembly is the highest executive and legislative body of the republic. The Constitution of Dagestan
528-540: A company called Peter-Service helped state entities gather data on Russian mobile phone users as part of an online surveillance system called the System for Operative Investigative Activities ( SORM ) with close collaboration with the FSB. SORM-1 is for wiretapping phones. SORM-2 intercepts electronic correspondence and Internet traffic. Beginning in the summer of 2014, SORM-3 has been "on guard" and integrates all telecommunication services in real time. In recent years,
660-530: A former KGB officer who assisted Soviet dissidents, Vladimir Kazantsev , who disclosed illegal purchases of eavesdropping devices from foreign firms, and Vil Mirzayanov , who had written that Russia was working on a nerve-gas weapon. In 2011, the FSB prevented 94 "crimes of a terrorist nature", including eight terrorist attacks. In particular, the agency foiled a planned suicide bombing in Moscow on New Year's Eve. The agency failed to prevent terrorists perpetrating
792-574: A group of armed Russian militants who seized Sloviansk . His role in the siege gained him influence and attention, and he was appointed to the position of Minister of Defense in the Donetsk People's Republic , a puppet state of Russia . Girkin was charged with terrorism by Ukrainian authorities. He has also been sanctioned by the European Union, United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Canada and Switzerland for his leading role in
924-549: A killer". The incident helped prompt the government's "anti-terrorist" military offensive against the pro-Russia separatists in Ukraine. In an interview with "Radio-KP" on 18 January 2016, Girkin acknowledged that he used extrajudicial punishment , and at least four people were executed by firing squad while he was in Sloviansk. In May 2020 Girkin confessed in an interview with Ukrainian journalist Dmitry Gordon that he ordered
1056-661: A lead role on "intelligence and influence operations". The FSB's Fifth Service, also referred to as the "Department for Operational Information" and "Operational Information and International Relations Service" is stated by the BBC and Radio Free Europe as counterintelligence in former territories of the Soviet Union, work formerly done by the KGB's Fifth Service. Its Ninth Directorate of the Fifth Service targets Ukraine. Putin
1188-466: A lengthy campaign in swaths of Dagestan in order to fully conquer the region, which was met with considerable success, although eventually he was forced to withdraw due to the extremity of the weather, the outbreak of disease and heavy raids by the various ethnic groups of Dagestan, forcing him to retreat with his army. From 1747 onwards, the Persian-ruled part of Dagestan was administered through
1320-762: A major part of the Federal Agency of Government Communication and Information (FAPSI); this would include intelligence activities in countries that were once members of the Soviet Union, work formerly done by the KGB's Fifth Service. The SVR had in 1992 signed an agreement not to spy on those countries; the FSB had made no such commitment. The Federal Security Service (FSB or FSS) (Russian: Федеральная служба безопасности Российской Федерации , romanized : Federal'naya sluzhba bezopasnosti Rossiyskoy Federatsii , IPA: [fʲɪdʲɪˈralʲnəjə ˈsluʐbə bʲɪzɐˈpasnəstʲɪ rɐˈsʲijskəj fʲɪdʲɪˈratsɨɪ] [ФСБ, ФСБ России], lit. ' Federal Service [of] Safety ' )
1452-544: A report issued by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights , "reportedly, on 26 May, by order of Strelkov, Dmytro Slavov ('commander of a company of the people's militia') and Mykola Lukyanov ('commander of a platoon of the militia of Donetsk People's Republic') were "executed" in Sloviansk, after they were "sentenced" for "looting, armed robbery, kidnapping and abandoning
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#17327653316501584-577: A small but vocal group of students who advocated a return to monarchism ." Vice News reported that "during the 1990s, Girkin wrote for the right-wing Russian newspaper Zavtra , which is run by the anti-Semitic Russian nationalist Alexander Prokhanov " and where Alexander Borodai was an editor. Writing for Zavtra ("Tomorrow"), Girkin and Borodai, who too was reported to have fought for Russia-backed Transnistria and Republika Srpska separatists in Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina , together covered
1716-565: A subsequent conversation in which "Strelkov" is heard instructing Ponomarev to dispose of Rybak's body, which is "lying here [in the basement of the separatist headquarters in Sloviansk] and beginning to smell." Rybak's corpse with a smashed head, multiple stab wounds and ripped stomach was found later in April in a river near Sloviansk. Popravko's body was found nearby. Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov described Girkin as "a monster and
1848-593: A terrorist" and highlighted especially Russia's willingness to prioritize national security over civil rights. By 2010, Russian forces led by the FSB had managed to eliminate the top level leadership of the Chechen insurgency, except for Dokka Umarov . Starting from 2009, the level of terrorism in Russia increased again, particularly suicide attacks. Between February 2005 and August 2008, no civilians were killed in such attacks. In 2008, at least 17 were killed, and in 2009
1980-703: A vassal and eventually subordinate to the Parthian Empire . With the advent of the Sasanian Empire , it became a satrapy (province) within the vast domains of the empire. In later antiquity, a few wars were fought as the Roman Empire unsuccessfully attempted to contest Sasanid rule over the region. Over the centuries, to a relatively large extent, the peoples within the Dagestan territory converted to Christianity alongside Zoroastrianism . In
2112-475: A village of Mesker-Yurt. Asked by one of friends why he didn't publish them, Girkin explained that "people we captured and questioned almost always disappeared without trace, without court, after we were done" and this is why these stories cannot be openly published. Following the February 2014 Ukrainian revolution , there were pro-Russian, counter-revolutionary demonstrations in southeastern Ukraine. Girkin
2244-517: Is classified as a continental climate , with a significant lack of precipitation. It is among the warmest places in Russia. In the mountainous regions, it is subarctic . Dagestan is divided into forty-one administrative districts ( raions ) and ten cities/towns . The districts are further subdivided into nineteen urban-type settlements , and 363 rural okrugs and stanitsa okrugs . In the first few centuries AD, Caucasian Albania (corresponding to modern Azerbaijan and southern Dagestan) became
2376-425: Is engaged in the development of Russia's export control strategy and examines drafts of international agreements related to the transfer of dual-use and military commodities and technologies. Its primary role in the nonproliferation sphere is to collect information to prevent the illegal export of controlled nuclear technology and materials. In September 2017, WikiLeaks released "Spy Files Russia", revealing how
2508-537: Is headquartered in Lubyanka Square , Moscow 's center, in the main building of the former KGB. The director of the FSB is appointed by and directly answerable to the president of Russia . Being part of Russia's executive branch formally, the FSB has significant, if not decisive, power over it. In 2003, the FSB's responsibilities were expanded by incorporating the Border Guard Service and
2640-400: Is located about seven kilometers southwest of the peak. Other important mountains are Diklosmta (4,285 m (14,058 ft)), Gora Addala Shukgelmezr (4,152 m (13,622 ft)) and Gora Dyultydag (4,127 m (13,540 ft)). The town of Kumukh is one of the settlements on the mountains. Dagestan is rich in oil , natural gas , coal , and many other minerals. The climate
2772-531: Is one of the successor organizations of the Soviet Committee of State Security ( KGB ). Following the attempted coup of 1991 —in which some KGB units as well as the KGB head Vladimir Kryuchkov played a major part—the KGB was dismantled and ceased to exist from November 1991. In December 1991, two government agencies answerable to the Russian president were created by President Yeltsin's decrees on
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#17327653316502904-528: The 2004 Russian aircraft bombings over Tula Oblast aboard a Tu-134 "Volga-Aeroexpress" airliner, killing 43. The other sister, Rosa Nagayeva, participated in the Beslan hostage crisis that same year. The emails leaked in May 2014 and allegedly authored by Girkin contain his diaries from Bosnia and Chechnya that he sent to his friends for review. One story describes an operation of capturing Chechen activists from
3036-554: The Ayaks /Ajax hypersonic aircraft and has run a Russia-US scientific symposium for several years. Other instances of prosecution are the cases of investigative journalist and ecologist Grigory Pasko , Vladimir Petrenko , who described danger posed by military chemical warfare stockpiles, and Nikolay Shchur , chairman of the Snezhinskiy Ecological Fund . Other arrested people include Viktor Orekhov ,
3168-703: The Dagestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in 1921, with the incorporation of the eastern part of Terek Oblast , which is not mountainous but includes the Terek littoral at the southern end of the Caspian Depression . The republic is situated in the North Caucasus mountains. It is the southernmost part of Russia and is bordered on its eastern side by the Caspian Sea . There are over 1,800 rivers in
3300-648: The Derbent Khanate , with its center at Derbent. The Persian expedition of 1796 resulted in the Russian capture of Derbent in 1796. However, the Russians were again forced to retreat from the entire Caucasus following internal governmental problems, allowing Persia to capture the territory again. It was not until the aftermath of the Russo-Persian War (1804–1813) that Russian power over Dagestan
3432-544: The Domodedovo International Airport bombing . Over the years, FSB and affiliated state security organizations have killed all presidents of the separatist Chechen Republic of Ichkeria including Dzhokhar Dudaev , Zelimkhan Yandarbiev , Aslan Maskhadov , and Abdul-Khalim Saidullaev . During the Moscow theater hostage crisis and Beslan school hostage crisis , all hostage-takers were killed on
3564-537: The Donbas provinces of eastern Ukraine. On 12 April 2014, Girkin led a fifty-strong unit of heavily-armed pro-Russian militants who captured the strategic town of Sloviansk in eastern Ukraine. They attacked and occupied the town's administration building, police station, and Security Service building, and set up roadblocks. The unit were mostly Russian Armed Forces 'volunteers' from Russian-occupied Crimea and wore no insignia . Girkin admitted that this action sparked
3696-733: The Islamic conquests , the Dagestani people (region of Derbent ) were the first people to become Muslims within current Russian territory, after the Arab conquest of the region in 643. In the 8th century Arabs repeatedly clashed with the Khazars . Although the local population rose against the Arabs of Derbent in 905 and 913, Islam was still adopted in urban centers, such as Samandar and Kubachi (Zerechgeran), from where it steadily diffused into
3828-604: The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Andriy Lysenko claimed Ukrainian security forces had not destroyed the retreating military column because they had received information that the separatists were using human shields . Shortly before the withdrawal, a video was posted on YouTube in which Girkin desperately pleaded for military aid from Russia for " Novorossiya " ("New Russia", an historical name for South-East Ukraine with particular popularity amongst separatists) and said Sloviansk "will fall earlier than
3960-710: The Republic of Dagestan , is a republic of Russia situated in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe , along the Caspian Sea . It is located north of the Greater Caucasus , and is a part of the North Caucasian Federal District . The republic is the southernmost tip of Russia, sharing land borders with the countries of Azerbaijan and Georgia to the south and southwest, the Russian republics of Chechnya and Kalmykia to
4092-695: The Russian annexation of Crimea , and then in the Donbas War as an organizer of militant groups in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR). In 2024 he was convicted on charges of inciting extremism. Earlier he received the life sentence in absentia in the Netherlands for his role in downing the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 . Girkin admitted responsibility for sparking the Donbas War in eastern Ukraine when, in April 2014, he led
Igor Girkin - Misplaced Pages Continue
4224-545: The Russian invasion of Ukraine , Girkin regained attention as a milblogger , taking a strong pro-war stance but criticizing the Russian military for what he saw as incompetence and "insufficiency". In October 2022, Girkin briefly joined a volunteer unit fighting against Ukrainian forces. In April 2023, Girkin, alongside some fellow Russian nationalists joined the Club of Angry Patriots , a hardline pro-war group. He began criticizing Vladimir Putin for incompetence and on 21 July 2023
4356-679: The Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) , rising together against the Russian Empire . Chechnya rose again at various times throughout the late 19th and 20th centuries. On December 21, 1917, Ingushetia , Chechnya , Dagestan and the rest of the North Caucasus declared independence from Russia and formed a single state called the "United Mountain Dwellers of the North Caucasus" (also known as the Mountainous Republic of
4488-622: The Vladimir Putin 's second presidency (2006–2008), terrorist attacks in Russia dwindled, falling from 257 in 2005 to 48 in 2007. Military analyst Vitaly Shlykov praised the effectiveness of Russia's security agencies, saying that the experience learned in Chechnya and Dagestan had been key to the success. In 2008, the American Carnegie Endowment 's Foreign Policy magazine named Russia as "the worst place to be
4620-541: The anti-terrorist operation then [in Sloviansk] once and for all. That chance was lost. General Serhiy Krivonos, Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine , said in 2020 that the Ukrainian Army was aware of the movement of Girkin's columns out of Sloviansk but did not attack the columms: Having some information from our sources from Sloviansk and Kramatorsk , we understood that they [the separatists] would come out. This understanding
4752-490: The invasion of Ukraine . A U.S. official interviewed by The Wall Street Journal described the arrest report as "credible". On 11 April 2022, the Times of London , citing unnamed sources who had spoken to Bellingcat executive director Christo Grozev , reported that Beseda was transferred to Lefortovo Prison , the scene of mass executions during Stalin's purges . The same report claims that up over 100 FSB agents from
4884-563: The "Gamaredon" hacking group. Media reporting indicates FSB units are capable of manufacturing their own advanced malware tools and have been documented manipulating exposed malware to mimic other hacking teams and conceal their activities. Reporting indicates the FSB oversees training and research institutes, which directly support the FSB's cyber mission. One FSB team reportedly focuses on penetrating infrastructure and energy sector targets. Most operations linked to this team appear to be reconnaissance or clandestine surveillance. The targeting of
5016-472: The "Igor Strelkov" involved in Ukraine is the same person as a Russian military officer called "Strelkov", who was identified as being directly responsible for at least six instances (on four occasions) of the forced disappearance and presumed murder of residents of Chechnya's mountain Vedensky District village of Khatuni and nearby settlements of Makhkety and Tevzeni in 2001–2002, when "Strelkov"
5148-546: The 1720s, as a result of the disintegration of the Safavids and the Russo-Persian War (1722–23) , the Russians briefly annexed maritime Dagestan from the Safavids. The Russians could not hold on to the interior of Dagestan, and could only be stopped in front of Baku with the help of Ottoman forces under the command of Mustafa Pasha. With a treaty signed between Russia and the Ottoman Empire in 1724 , aimed at dividing
5280-473: The 1930s. Kumyk also had been an official language for communication of the Russian Imperial administration with the local peoples. The first Russian grammar written about a language from present-day Dagestan was for Kumyk. Author Timofey Makarov wrote: From the peoples speaking Tatar language I liked the most Kumyks, as for their language's distinction and precision, so for their closeness to
5412-680: The 1993 constitutional crisis , the Ministry of Security was reorganized on 21 December 1993 into the Federal Counter-Intelligence Service (FSK). The FSK was headed by Sergei Stepashin . Before the start of the First Chechen War's main military activities, the FSK was responsible for the covert operations against the separatists led by Dzhokhar Dudayev . In 1995, the FSK was renamed and reorganized into
Igor Girkin - Misplaced Pages Continue
5544-510: The 2022 invasion, intelligence agencies in Ukraine, Germany, the UK, and the US reported that the FSB planned to replace elected leaders of Ukraine with Ukrainians now living in Russia. In 2014, according to a Russian military analyst, the FSB badly misled Putin with claims that Ukrainians would welcome a Russian invasion of Crimea to free them from "fascists". According to Radio Free Europe , in 2022,
5676-402: The 45th DRR base by the officers known as "Colonel Proskuryn and Strelkov Igor". Another entry lists the missing person Beslan Taramov as abducted in 2001 in the village of Elistandzhi by the 45th DRR servicemen led by "Igor Strelko (nicknamed Strikal)". Cherkasov also lists Durtayev and Tashayev (but not Taramov) among the alleged victims of "Strelkov". Cherkasov and other observers suspected it
5808-750: The 5th century, the Sassanids gained the upper hand, and by the 6th century had constructed a strong citadel at Derbent , known from then on as the Caspian Gates , while the Huns overran the northern part of Dagestan, followed by the Caucasian Avars . During the Sassanian era, southern Dagestan became a bastion of Persian culture and civilization, with its center at Derbent. A policy of " Persianisation " can be traced over many centuries. During
5940-583: The Chairman of the State Council was the highest executive post in the republic, held by Magomedali Magomedovich Magomedov until 2006. On February 20, 2006, the People's Assembly passed a resolution terminating this post and disbanding the State Council. Russian president , Vladimir Putin offered the People's Assembly the candidature of Mukhu Aliyev for the newly established post of the president of
6072-524: The Constitutional System and the Fight against Terrorism. In 2003, the agency's responsibilities were considerably widened. The Border Guard Service of Russia , with its staff of 210,000, was integrated to the FSB via a decree signed on 11 March 2003. The merger was completed by 1 July 2003. In addition, The Federal Agency of Government Communication and Information (FAPSI) was abolished, and
6204-794: The Donbas War. He said "I'm the one who pulled the trigger of war. If our unit hadn't crossed the border, everything would have fizzled out, like in [the Ukrainian city of] Kharkiv, like in Odessa". He said his unit was formed in Crimea and consisted of volunteers from Russia, Crimea, and other regions of Ukraine. Girkin claimed many of the militants had Ukrainian citizenship and had fought in the Russian Armed Forces in Chechnya and Central Asia , while others had fought in Iraq and Yugoslavia with
6336-483: The Donetsk region to enlist in combat units." Sloviansk's separatist "people's mayor" and former boss of Girkin, Ponomarev, was himself detained on an order of Girkin on 10 June for "engaging in activities incompatible with the goals and tasks of the civil administration". On the night of 4–5 July 2014, during a large-scale offensive by the Ukrainian military, following the end of a 10-day ceasefire on 30 June, Girkin led
6468-797: The European civilization, but most importantly, I take in account that they live on the Left Flank of the Caucasian Front, where we're conducting military actions, and where all the peoples, apart from their own language, speak also Kumyk. Religion in Dagestan (2012) According to a 2012 survey which interviewed 56,900 people, 83% of the population of Dagestan adheres to Islam , 2.4% to the Russian Orthodox Church , 2% to Caucasian folk religion and other native faiths, 1% are non-denominational Christians . In addition, 9% of
6600-456: The FSB again promised easy victory if Russia invaded Ukraine. With the start of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine , Ukrainian counterintelligence has repeatedly asserted that the FSB suffered failures of operations security , including acts of insubordination and possible sabotage. In March 2022, Russia's encrypted communication system in Ukraine became useless after the Russian military destroyed cellphone towers; unencrypted phone calls from
6732-431: The FSB and criminal and civilian hackers, which the FSB reportedly uses to augment and staff its cyber units. DOJ has indicted multiple Russian hackers for a variety of criminal and state-sponsored cyber activities. Many of these indictments describe the close relationship between criminal hackers and the FSB. Since 2008, the director of the FSB has been General Alexander Bortnikov . The current First Deputy Director of
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#17327653316506864-434: The FSB are the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), the Federal Protective Service (FSO), and the Main Directorate of Special Programs of the President of the Russian Federation (GUSP). The primary responsibilities are within the country and include counter-intelligence , internal and border security , counterterrorism , surveillance and investigating some other types of serious crimes and federal law violations. It
6996-507: The FSB had spent millions recruiting a network of pro-Russian collaborators who ultimately told Putin and his top advisers, among them the current FSB director, what they wanted to hear. A series of alleged leaked letters from FSB analysts, made public after the invasion began, report the same kind of problem. For example: "You have to write the analysis in a way that makes Russia the victor ... otherwise you get questioned for not doing good work." Russian-American ballet dancer Ksenia Karelina
7128-413: The FSB has expanded its mission to include foreign intelligence collection and offensive cyber operations. Cyber analysts have referred to FSB hackers as Berserk Bear , Energetic Bear , Gamaredon , TeamSpy, Dragonfly, Havex , Crouching Yeti , and Koala. The FSB reportedly has two primary centers overseeing its information security and cyber operations. The first is the 16th Center, which houses most of
7260-469: The FSB in Ukraine to superiors in Moscow discussing the death of Vitaly Gerasimov were tapped and released publicly. Ukrainian intelligence reported that FSB members were leaking intelligence to them, including the location of the Chechen commandos sent to assassinate Zelensky. In late March, Ukrainian intelligence posted online the names, addresses, phone numbers, and more of 620 people they identified as FSB agents. None of these reports have been confirmed by
7392-696: The FSB is Sergei Korolev . He was appointed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on 24 February 2021. As of 2022 Eduard Chernovoltsev was listed the Head of scientific and technical service of the FSB. Below the nationwide level, the FSB has regional offices in all the federal subjects of Russia . It also has administrations in the armed forces and other military institutions. Sub-departments exist for areas such as aviation, special training centers, forensic expertise, military medicine, etc. Dagestan Dagestan ( / ˌ d æ ɡ ɪ ˈ s t æ n , - ˈ s t ɑː n / DAG -i- STA(H)N ; Russian : Дагестан ; IPA: [dəɡʲɪˈstan] ), officially
7524-467: The FSB reportedly caught about 27 foreign intelligence officers and 89 foreign agents. Comparing the number of exposed spies historically, the then-FSB Director Nikolay Kovalyov said in 1996: "There has never been such a number of spies arrested by us since the time when German agents were sent in during the years of World War II." The 2011 figure is similar to what was reported in 1995–1996, when around 400 foreign intelligence agents were uncovered during
7656-412: The FSB since it was established; instances include researcher Igor Sutyagin , physicist Valentin Danilov , physical chemist Oleg Korobeinichev , academician Oskar Kaibyshev , and physicist Yury Ryzhov . Ecologist and journalist Alexander Nikitin , who worked with the Bellona Foundation , was accused of espionage. He published material exposing hazards posed by the Russian Navy's nuclear fleet. He
7788-426: The FSB was granted a major part of its functions, while other parts went to the Ministry of Defense . Among the reasons for this strengthening of the FSB were the enhanced need for security after increased terror attacks against Russian civilians starting with the Moscow theater hostage crisis ; the need to end the permanent infighting between the FSB, FAPSI and the Border Guards due to their overlapping functions; and
7920-438: The FSB's signals intelligence capabilities. The FSB also includes the 18th Center for Information Security, which oversees domestic operations and security but conducts foreign operations as well. The U.S. government indicted 18th Center FSB officers in 2017 for breaching Yahoo and millions of email accounts. In 2021, Ukrainian intelligence released information and recordings of 18th Center FSB officers based in Crimea as part of
8052-415: The FSB, the operation was planned over six months and made possible due to the FSB's increased activities in foreign countries that were supplying arms to the terrorists. Basayev was tracked via surveillance of this arms trafficking. He and other militants were preparing to carry out a terrorist attack in Ingushetia when FSB agents destroyed their convoy; 12 militants were killed. During the last years of
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#17327653316508184-429: The FSB. Media outlets of Ukraine, its allies in the West, and Russian dissidents report that Vladimir Putin has blamed setbacks in the military operations on the FSB and the Fifth Service. On 11 March 2022, investigative journalist Andrei Soldatov reported that Fifth Service head Sergey Beseda and his deputy, Anatoly Bolyukh were under house arrest due to Putin 's discontent with intelligence failures regarding
8316-424: The FSB. Putin was reluctant to take over the directorship, but once appointed conducted a thorough reorganization, which included the dismissal of most of the FSB's top personnel. Putin appointed Nikolai Patrushev as the head of FSB in 1999. After the main military offensive of the Second Chechen War ended and the separatists changed tactics to guerilla warfare, overall command of the federal forces in Chechnya
8448-408: The Federal Security Service (FSB) by the Federal Law "On the Federal Security Service" (the title of the law as amended in June 2003 ) signed by the president on 3 April 1995. The FSB reforms were rounded out by decree No. 633, signed by Boris Yeltsin on 23 June 1995. The decree made the tasks of the FSB more specific, giving the FSB substantial rights to conduct cryptographic work, and described
8580-460: The Fifth Service had been sacked. The Times of London also reports that "it is thought that" the Fifth Service is now headed by Beseda's former subordinate, Grigory Grishaev . According to an article in the 11 April 2022 issue of The Washington Post : Several current and former officials described the Russian security service as rife with corruption, beset by bureaucratic bloat and ultimately out of touch. A Ukrainian intelligence official said
8712-402: The Mountains". The Turkish word dağ means "mountain", and the Persian suffix -stan means "land". Some areas of Dagestan were known as Lekia , Avaria and Tarki at various times. Between 1860 and 1920, Dagestan was referred to as Dagestan Oblast , corresponding to the southeastern part of the present-day republic. The current borders were created with the establishment of
8844-459: The Northern Caucasus ). The capital of the new state was moved to Temir-Khan-Shura . The first prime minister of the state was Tapa Chermoyev , a prominent Chechen statesman. The second prime minister was an Ingush statesman Vassan-Girey Dzhabagiev, who in 1917 also became the author of the constitution of the land, and in 1920 was re-elected for a third term. After the Bolshevik Revolution , Ottoman armies occupied Azerbaijan and Dagestan and
8976-506: The Republic of Dagestan . The People's Assembly accepted the nomination, and Mukhu Aliyev became the first president of the republic. On February 20, 2010, Aliyev was replaced by Magomedsalam Magomedov . Ramazan Abdulatipov then became the head (acting 2013–2017, following the resignation of Magomedov). On October 3, 2017, Vladimir Vasilyev was appointed as head. In the 2024 Russian presidential election , which critics called rigged and fraudulent, President Vladimir Putin won 92.93% of
9108-475: The Russian Soviet federation but did not follow the other ASSRs in declaring sovereignty . On August 7, 1999, the Islamic International Peacekeeping Brigade (IIPB), an Islamist group from Chechnya led by warlords Shamil Basayev , Ibn Al-Khattab and Ramzan Akhmadov , launched a military invasion of Dagestan , in support of the Shura separatist rebels with the aim of creating an "independent Islamic State of Dagestan". The invaders were supported by part of
9240-399: The Russian military reserves who has expressed hardline views on eliminating perceived enemies of the Russian state. He has fought on the federal side in Russian counter-separatist campaigns in Chechnya and on the pro-Moscow separatist side in the conflict in Moldova's breakaway region of Transnistria . In 1999, he published his memoirs of the fighting in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 2014, he
9372-400: The Russian war against separatists in Chechnya and Dagestan . He would also often write as a "Colonel in the Reserves" on Middle East subjects, such as the conflicts in Libya, Egypt and Syria, and for the Abkhazian Network News Agency (ANNA), a Russian-language pro-Russian publication which supports Abkhazian separatism in Georgia. The Russian media has identified Girkin as an officer of
9504-627: The SVR is legally forbidden from conducting espionage under the inter-government agreements. Such activity is in line with Article 8 of the Federal Law on the FSB. According to the Royal United Services Institute , FSB's Department for Operational Information "is responsible for compiling data on Russia's 'near abroad ' ", having taken over the work of KGB's Fifth Service, which ran counterintelligence inside territories of
9636-500: The Sloviansk People's Militia to an orderly retreat out of Ukrainian encirclement and made it to Donetsk, which they started fortifying on 7 July. Sloviansk was then captured by Ukrainian forces, thus ending the separatist occupation of the city which had started on 6 April. According to Girkin, 80-90 percent of his men had escaped from Sloviansk. The ultimately successful withdrawal of a considerable force of separatists from
9768-535: The Soviet Union. In the summer of 2006, the FSB was given the legal power to engage in targeted killing of terrorism suspects overseas if ordered by the president. The Federal Border Guard Service (FPS) has been part of the FSB since 2003. Russia has 61,000 kilometers (38,000 mi) of sea and land borders, 7,500 kilometers (4,700 mi) of which is with Kazakhstan, and 4,000 kilometers (2,500 mi) with China. One kilometer (.62 miles) of border protection costs around 1 million rubles per year. The FSB
9900-659: The Ukrainian Armed Forces. Girkin said he was ordered not to give up Sloviansk. On 15 April 2014 the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) opened a criminal proceeding against "Igor Strelkov" for his actions in Sloviansk and Crimea, describing him as the chief organizer of the "terror" in Sloviansk Raion , including an ambush that killed one and wounded three SBU officers. On 16 April, he allegedly sought to recruit Ukrainian soldiers captured at
10032-768: The Ukrainian government. On 28 April, the EU sanctioned "Igor Strelkov" as a GRU staff member believed to be a coordinator of armed actions and a security assistant to Crimea's Sergey Aksyonov . He was also sanctioned by the United Kingdom on 29 April. On 29 April, Girkin appointed a new police chief for Kramatorsk . On 12 May, "I. Strelkov" declared himself "the Supreme Commander of the DPR" and all of its "military units, security, police, customs, border guards, prosecutors, and other paramilitary structures". According to
10164-474: The agency was reformed by a decree signed on 17 June 2000. In the resulting structure, the FSB was to have a director, a first deputy director and nine other deputy directors, including one possible state secretary and the chiefs of six departments: Economic Security Department, Counterintelligence Department, Organizational and Personnel Service, Department of activity provision, Department for Analysis, Forecasting and Strategic Planning, Department for Protection of
10296-565: The basis of the relevant main directorates of the defunct KGB: Foreign Intelligence Service (Russia) (SVR, the former First Main Directorate ) and the Federal Agency of Government Communications and Information (FAPSI, merging the functions of the former 8th Main Directorate and 16th Main Directorate of the KGB). In January 1992, another new institution, the Ministry of Security, took over domestic and border security responsibilities. Following
10428-682: The battle field". The order, which was circulated widely and posted in the streets in Slovyansk, referred to a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the USSR of 22 June 1941 as the basis for the execution." The report also mentions Girkin's efforts to recruit local women into his armed formations: "A particular call for women to join the armed groups was made on 17 May through a video released with Girkin "Strelkov", urging women of
10560-572: The besieged Sloviansk to the large industrial center of Donetsk caused some backlash in Ukraine against the army leadership. General Mykhailo Zabrodskyi , then the commander of the besieging army who was criticized for having allowed Girkin's columns to move out of the city unopposed (and as of 2023 the Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces ), said in 2020 that Girkin's successful escape had longtime consequences for
10692-559: The chambers, and had to "forcibly drive the deputies to vote [to join Russia]". He was also reported to be instrumental in negotiating the 2014 defection of the Ukrainian Navy commander Denis Berezovsky . I was in charge of the only unit of Crimean militia, the spetsnaz company which carried out combat missions. But after the combat for cartography base when 2 people died (I
10824-511: The changes to be an attempt to undermine FSB Director Nikolay Patrushev 's influence, as his team from the Karelian KGB Directorate of the late 1980s to early 1990s suffered most, and he had been on vacations during the events. By 2008, the agency had one Director, two First Deputy Directors and 5 Deputy Directors. It had the following 9 divisions: Beginning with the Moscow theater hostage crisis in 2002, Russia
10956-470: The claims. A local pro-Russia militia leader in Ukraine, Vyacheslav Ponomarev , a self-described old friend of Girkin's, said the information about Girkin was true. His pseudonym "Strelkov" ("Strelok") can be roughly translated as "Rifleman" or "Shooter". He has also been dubbed Igor Groznyy ("Igor the Terrible"). Alexander Cherkasov, head of Russia's leading human rights group Memorial , is convinced that
11088-528: The economic and financial security of the country, and combating organized crime. In September 2006, the FSB was shaken up by a major reshuffle. Combined with some earlier reassignments – most notably those of FSB Deputy Directors Yury Zaostrovtsev and Vladimir Anisimov in 2004 and 2005 – the changes were widely believed to be linked to the Three Whales Corruption Scandal that had slowly unfolded since 2000. Some analysts considered
11220-507: The energy sector has raised concern within the U.S. government. The Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have documented the unit's reconnaissance and noted the possibility of inserting malware to cause future damage in an attack. The U.S. government also has linked the unit to attempts to penetrate state and local government networks in 2020. Media reporting has documented close connections between
11352-624: The entire Donetsk region to him. On 26 April, "Strelkov" made his first public appearance when he gave a video interview to Komsomolskaya Pravda where he confirmed that his militia in Sloviansk came from Crimea. He said nothing about his own background, denied receiving weapons or ammunition from Russia, and announced that his militia would not release the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) observers that it had taken hostage unless pro-Russia activists were first freed by
11484-654: The entrance to Kramatorsk . The SBU presented Girkin's presence in eastern Ukraine as proof of Russia's involvement in the Donbas War. They released intercepted telephone conversations between "Strelkov" and his supposed handlers in Moscow. Russia denied any interference in Ukraine by its troops outside Crimea. In July 2014, Ukrainian authorities alleged that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu coordinated all of Girkin's actions, supplying him and "other terrorist leaders" with "the most destructive weapons" since May and instructing him directly, with Russian President Vladimir Putin 's approval. Ukrainian government claims Girkin
11616-661: The federal forces to conduct efficient counterterrorist operations led to the government to transfer the responsibility of "maintaining order" in Chechnya from the FSB to the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) in July 2003. After becoming president, Vladimir Putin launched a major reorganization of the FSB. First, the FSB was placed under direct control of the President by a decree issued on 17 May 2000. The internal structure of
11748-417: The hands of victors. If we are defeated, then it means that the norms of the law will be used against me. — Igor Strelkov, "Radio-KP", 18 January 2016 During the weekend of 26–27 April 2014, the political leader of the separatist-controlled Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), Girkin's long-time friend, Alexander Borodai , also a Russian national from Moscow, ceded control of all separatist fighters in
11880-518: The highlands. By the 15th century, Christianity had died away, leaving a 10th-century Church of Datuna as the sole monument to its existence. In the second half of the 11th century, the Seljuk Turks took part of the region of Dagestan under their control. The Mongols raided the lands in 1221–1222 then conquered Derbent and the surrounding area from 1236 to 1239 during the invasions of Georgia and Durdzuketia . The Timurids incorporated
12012-406: The killing of Popravko and another man: "Yes, these people were shot on my orders. No one ripped open their stomach. Do I regret that they were shot? No, they were enemies." Girkin also stated that the killing of Rybak was also to some extent under his responsibility. I absolutely do not worry about international law, because it is a tool at
12144-523: The launching trigger of war. If our squad did not cross the border, at the end all would have been finished as in Kharkiv or Odesa . Practically, the flywheel of war which lasts until now was launched by our squad. And I bear a personal responsibility for what is happening there. — Igor Girkin, Newspaper "Zavtra", 20 November 2014 Girkin said that the head of the newly-installed Russian government in Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov , asked him to deal with
12276-456: The list that day. The list had been available previously, but only through individual request. Commenting on the list, Yuri Sapunov, head of counterterrorism at the FSB, named three main criteria necessary for organizations to be listed. According to some unofficial sources, since 1999, the FSB has also been tasked with the intelligence-gathering on the territory of the CIS countries, wherein
12408-406: The local population but were driven back by the Russian military and local paramilitary groups. In response to the invasion, Russian forces subsequently reinvaded Chechnya later that year . Dagestan has one of the highest unemployment rates in Russia . Dagestani soldiers participated in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine , many of whom were killed in action. In September, Dagestan became
12540-562: The military equation. The Russian administration, however, disappointed and embittered the highlanders. The institution of heavy taxation, coupled with the expropriation of estates and the construction of fortresses (including Makhachkala), electrified highlanders into rising under the aegis of the Muslim Imamate of Dagestan , led by Ghazi Mohammed (1828–1832), Hamzat Bek (1832–1834) and Shamil (1834–1859). This Caucasian War raged until 1864. Dagestan and Chechnya profited from
12672-638: The mountainous region on the Dagestan-Georgia border. Prior to Soviet rule, the literary lingua-franca status to some extent belonged to Classical Arabic . The northern Avar dialect of Khunzakh has also served as a lingua franca in mountainous Dagestan where Avar-related peoples lived. And throughout centuries the Kumyk language had been the lingua-franca for the bigger part of the Northern Caucasus, from Dagestan to Kabarda , until
12804-424: The need for more efficient response to migration, drug trafficking and illegal arms trading. In addition, the FSB was the sole power base of the new president, so the restructuring strengthened his position (see Political groups under Vladimir Putin's presidency ). On 28 June 2004, in a speech to high-ranking FSB officers, Putin emphasized three major tasks of the agency: neutralizing foreign espionage, safeguarding
12936-485: The number rose to 45. In March 2010, Islamist militants organised the 2010 Moscow Metro bombings , which killed 40 people. One of the two blasts took place at Lubyanka station, near the FSB headquarters. Militant leader Doku Umarov —dubbed "Russia's Osama Bin Laden"—took responsibility for the attacks. In July 2010, President Dmitry Medvedev expanded the FSB's powers in its fight against terrorism. FSB officers received
13068-456: The power to issue warnings to citizens on actions that could lead to committing crimes and arrest people for 15 days if they fail to comply with legitimate orders given by the officers. The bill was harshly criticized by human rights organizations. Since 2014, the FSB devoted substantial resources to preparing for a Russian takeover of Ukraine. Although Russia's SVR and GRU (foreign and military intelligence services) were also involved, FSB had
13200-532: The powers of the FSB director. The number of deputy directors was increased to eight: two first deputies, five deputies responsible for departments and directorates and one deputy director heading the Moscow City and Moscow regional directorate. Yeltsin appointed Colonel-General Mikhail Ivanovich Barsukov as the new director of the FSB. In 1998, Yeltsin appointed Vladimir Putin , a KGB veteran who would later succeed Yeltsin as federal president, as director of
13332-530: The region became part of the short-lived Mountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus . After more than three years of fighting the White Army and local nationalists, the Bolsheviks achieved victory and the Dagestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was proclaimed on January 20, 1921. As the newly created Soviet Union was consolidating control in the region, Dagestan declared itself a republic within
13464-677: The region into their realm following the Mongols. As Mongolian authority gradually eroded, new centers of power emerged in Kaitagi and Tarki . In the early 16th century, the Persians (under the Safavids ) reconsolidated their rule over the region, which would, intermittently, last till the early 19th century. In the 16th and 17th centuries, legal traditions were codified, and mountainous communities ( djamaats ) obtained considerable autonomy. In
13596-486: The republic is one of Russia's most linguistically and ethnically diverse, and one of the most heterogeneous administrative divisions in the world. Most of the residents speak one of the Northeast Caucasian , or Turkic languages; however, Russian is the primary language and the lingua franca in the republic. The word Dagestan is of Turkish and Persian origin, directly translating to "Land of
13728-564: The republic. Major rivers include: Dagestan has about 405 kilometers (252 mi) of coastline on the world's largest lake, the Caspian Sea . Most of Dagestan is mountainous, with the Greater Caucasus Mountains covering the south of the republic. The highest point is the Bazardüzü/Bazardyuzyu peak at 4,470 meters (14,670 ft), on the border with Azerbaijan . The southernmost point of Russia
13860-673: The rest". Federal Security Service The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation ( FSB ) is the principal security agency of Russia and the main successor agency to the Soviet Union 's KGB ; its immediate predecessor was the Federal Counterintelligence Service (FSK) which was reorganized into the FSB in 1995. The three major structural successor components of the former KGB that remain administratively independent of
13992-667: The second highest life expectancy in Russia. Higher duration of life is observed only in Ingushetia . Source: Russian Federal State Statistics Service The people of Dagestan include a large variety of ethnicities . According to the 2021 Census , Northeast Caucasians (including Avars , Dargins , Lezgins , Laks , Tabasarans , Rutulians and Chechens ) make up almost 75% of the population of Dagestan. Turkic peoples, Kumyks , Azerbaijanis , and Nogais make up 21%, and Russians 3.3%. Other ethnicities (e.g. Tats , who are an Iranian people ) each account for less than 0.4% of
14124-510: The spot by FSB spetsnaz forces. Only one of the suspects, Nur-Pashi Kulayev , survived and was convicted later by the court. It is reported that more than 100 leaders of terrorist groups have been killed during 119 operations on North Caucasus during 2006. On 28 July 2006, the FSB presented a list of 17 terrorist organizations recognized by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation , to Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper, which published
14256-473: The territories of Safavid Iran between them, Derbend, Baku and some other places in the region were left to Russia. Dagestan briefly came under Ottoman rule between 1578 and 1606. The territories were however returned to Persia in 1735 per the Treaty of Ganja . Between 1730 and the early course of the 1740s, following his brother's murder in Dagestan, the new Persian ruler and military genius Nader Shah led
14388-837: The total population. Such groups as the Botlikh , the Andi , the Akhvakhs , the Tsez and about ten other groups were reclassified as Avars between the 1926 and 1939 censuses. Ethnic groups in Dagestan (2021) More than 30 local languages are commonly spoken, most belonging to the Nakh-Daghestanian language family. Russian became the principal lingua franca in Dagestan during the 20th century; Over 20 of Russia's 131 endangered languages as identified by UNESCO can be found in Dagestan. Most of these endangered languages have speakers in
14520-631: The two-year period. In a high-profile case of foreign espionage, the FSB said in February 2012 that an engineer working at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome , Russia's main space center for military launches, had been sentenced to 13 years in prison on charges of state treason. A court judged that the engineer had sold information about the testing of new Russian strategic missile systems to the American CIA . A number of scientists have been accused of espionage and illegal technology exports by
14652-413: The vote in Dagestan. Because its mountainous terrain impedes travel and communication, Dagestan is unusually ethnically diverse and still largely tribal. It is Russia's most heterogeneous republic. Dagestan's population is rapidly growing. 3,182,054 ( 2021 Census ) ; 2,910,249 ( 2010 Census ) ; 2,576,531 ( 2002 Census ) ; 1,802,579 ( 1989 Soviet census ) . Dagestan has
14784-472: The war in eastern Ukraine. Girkin was dismissed from his position in August 2014, after 298 civilians were killed when Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down by Russian-backed militants . Dutch prosecutors charged Girkin and three others with mass murder, and issued an international arrest warrant against him. Girkin admits "moral responsibility" but denies pushing the button. On 17 November 2022, Girkin
14916-431: The war, unfavorable for Ukraine: The feeling of annoyance that if they [the separatists] had been done away with in Sloviansk, then, perhaps, events would have developed completely differently, for example, in Donetsk. Because now we know that everything that happened in Donetsk received a completely new impetus after the arrival of a group of militants there together with Girkin. There was a rather unique chance to complete
15048-497: The west and north, and with Stavropol Krai to the northwest. Makhachkala is the republic's capital and largest city ; other major cities are Derbent , Kizlyar , Izberbash , Kaspiysk , and Buynaksk . Dagestan covers an area of 50,300 square kilometres (19,400 square miles), with a population of over 3.1 million, consisting of over 30 ethnic groups and 81 nationalities. With 14 official languages, and 12 ethnic groups each constituting more than 1% of its total population,
15180-480: Was accused by Bosnian media ( Klix.ba ) and a retired Bosnian Army officer of having been involved in the Višegrad massacres in which thousands of civilians were killed in 1992. The BBC reported Girkin may have worked for Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) in a counter-terrorism unit, citing Russian military experts. According to Russian media, he has served as an FSB officer and his last role before retirement
15312-631: Was acquitted in 1999 after spending several years in prison (his case was sent for re-investigation 13 times while he remained in prison). In August 2021, the FSB arrested plasma physics -expert Alexander Kuranov, chief designer of the Hypersonic Systems Research Center (NIPGS in Russian) in St. Petersburg . Kuranov is suspected of passing secret information to a foreigner about hypersonic technology; he oversaw concept design on
15444-607: Was adopted on July 10, 2003. According to it, the highest executive authority lies with the State Council, comprising representatives of fourteen ethnicities. The Constitutional Assembly of Dagestan appoints the members of the State Council for a term of four years. The State Council appoints the members of the Government. The ethnicities represented in the State Council are Avars , Dargins , Kumyks , Lezgins , Laks , Azerbaijanis , Tabasarans , Russians , Chechens , Nogais , Aguls , Rutuls , Tsakhurs , and Tats . Formerly,
15576-627: Was arrested by Russian authorities on charges of extremism. Girkin was convicted in January 2024 of inciting extremism and sentenced to four years' imprisonment. Girkin was born in Moscow, Russia, on December 17, 1970. According to The New York Times , "his ideological rigidity precedes any connections he has to Russia's security services, stretching back at least to his days at the Moscow State Institute for History and Archives . There, Girkin obsessed over military history and joined
15708-517: Was arrested in early 2024 in Yekaterinburg and charged with "treason" for sending $ 51.80 to Razom , a New York City -based nonprofit organization that sends humanitarian assistance to Ukraine . The FSB accused Karelina of taking part in "public actions to support the Kyiv regime." She initially faced life in prison, but pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. In August 2024,
15840-481: Was attached to the 45th Detached Reconnaissance Regiment special forces unit of the Russian Airborne Troops based near Khatuni. None of these crimes were solved by official investigations. The website of Chechnya's official human rights ombudsman lists several residents of Khatuni who went missing in 2001 (Beslan Durtayev and Supyan Tashayev) as having been kidnapped from their homes and taken to
15972-467: Was behind the 17 April 2014 kidnapping, torture and murder of a local Ukrainian politician Volodymyr Rybak and a 19-year-old college student Yury Popravko. Rybak's abduction by a group of men in Horlivka was recorded on camera. The SBU released portions of intercepted calls in which another Russian citizen, alleged GRU officer and Girkin's subordinate Igor Bezler orders Rybak to be "neutralized", and
16104-525: Was clearly formed between July 2 and 3. And already on the 4th it was clear that they would leave that night from 4 to 5 July. We actively conducted reconnaissance and gave coordinates directly on the night movement of the column, and on the daytime location of the enemy in Kramatorsk, and then on the exit of Girkin's columns from Kramatorsk. These coordinates were given. There was no implementation of [an attack on] these coordinates. On 11 July spokesman for
16236-480: Was confirmed, and that Qajar Persia officially ceded the territory to Russia. In 1813, following Russia's victory in the war, Persia was forced to cede southern Dagestan with its principal city of Derbent, alongside other vast territories in the Caucasus to Russia, conforming with the Treaty of Gulistan . The 1828 Treaty of Turkmenchay indefinitely consolidated Russian control over Dagestan and removed Persia from
16368-487: Was faced with increased levels of terrorism . FSB Spetsnaz units Alpha Group and Vympel played a key role in hostage rescue operations during the Moscow theater siege and the Beslan school siege . Their performance was criticised due to the high number of hostage casualties. In 2006, the FSB successfully killed Shamil Basayev , who was behind the Beslan tragedy and several other high-profile terrorist acts. According to
16500-419: Was found guilty for the murder of 298 people, convicted of all charges in absentia , and issued a life sentence. Girkin is a self-described Russian nationalist . After his service in the war, he returned to Russia in 2014 as a political activist, reportedly calling for the liberal part of the Russian elite to be destroyed, which would shift the power balance in favor of militarists and securocrats . During
16632-410: Was in fact the same "Strelkov" until May 2014, when Girkin himself confirmed he has been present at Khatuni in 2001, where he fought against the "local population". According to Cherkasov, as a result of Girkin's actions in Chechnya, two sisters of one of those "disappeared", Uvais Nagayev, in effect turned to terrorism and died three years later: one of these sisters, Aminat Nagayeva, blew herself up in
16764-399: Was one of the commanders in Russia's annexation of Crimea, which immediately followed the revolution. In an interview on 22 January 2015, he explained that Russian media falsely portrayed Crimeans as supporting the annexation; Girkin said a majority of the local administration, law enforcement and army were opposed to it. Girkin stated that under his command, the rebels "collected" deputies into
16896-649: Was persuaded to invade Ukraine by a small group of his closest associates, especially Nikolai Patrushev , Yury Kovalchuk and Alexander Bortnikov . According to some experts, Bortnikov played a key role in Putin's decision to invade Ukraine. According to a report of the Royal United Services Institute citing interviews officers and analysts of Security Service of Ukraine , the FSB Ukraine team greatly expanded July 2021, and by February 2022 it had "around 200 officers" although most teams consist of only 10–20. Before
17028-445: Was reportedly with the FSB's Directorate for Combating International Terrorism. In 2014 Anonymous International disclosed what it said were Girkin's personal emails, revealing that he had served in the FSB for 18 years from 1996 to March 2013, including in Chechnya from 1999 to 2005, The Moscow Times reported. The newspaper also said Girkin was born in Moscow and that it contacted him by email and phone but that he would not confirm
17160-522: Was that battle's commander), the company was disbanded and its members parted. — Igor Girkin, — Newspaper "Zavtra", 20 November 2014 According to an accomplice, Girkin arrived in Crimea describing himself as the "Kremlin's emissary," and soon after formed the Crimean self-defense forces. His position was above that of self-declared Crimea prime minister Sergei Aksyonov . His main task in March 2014
17292-543: Was the accelerated military training of the newly formed Crimean forces, and selecting the best among them for transfer to the invasion of the Donbas. Girkin personally negotiated and oversaw the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Crimea. According to Girkin, he was in charge of the Simferopol Photogrammatic Center assault . I pressed
17424-478: Was transferred from the military to the FSB in January 2001. While the army lacked technical means of tracking the guerrilla groups, the FSB suffered from insufficient human intelligence due to its inability to build networks of agents and informants. In the autumn of 2002, the separatists launched a massive campaign of terrorism against the Russian civilians, including the Dubrovka theatre attack . The inability of
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