The Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation (SVR) is the intelligence agency responsible for Russia’s foreign operations. The successor to the KGB’s First Directorate General, the SVR gathers political, economic, military and technological information from abroad to inform the Russian government’s strategic decisions. Its headquarters are located in Yasenevo, southwest of Moscow. The SVR is headed by a director, currently Sergei Narychkin since 2016, who reports directly to the President of the Russian Federation. The agency is structured into several directorates, each specialized in areas such as political, economic or scientific intelligence. Recruitment to the SVR is rigorous, targeting mainly university graduates selected for their specific skills. The SVR’s missions include gathering sensitive information, protecting Russian interests abroad and carrying out clandestine operations. Throughout its history, the SVR has been involved in a variety of operations, with notable successes and resounding failures. It plays a crucial role in Russia’s national security system, working alongside other agencies such as the FSB and GRU.
History of the SVR
Origins and creation
The Russian Federation’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has its origins in the First Main Directorate (PGU) of the Soviet Union’s KGB. Prior to 1991, this directorate managed foreign intelligence operations, including political, economic and military espionage. The dissolution of the USSR led to the reorganization of the intelligence services, and President Boris Yeltsin created the SVR on December 18, 1991 as the successor to the PGU.
The SVR inherited the infrastructure, agents and methods of the KGB, while operating independently of the Federal Security Service (FSB), which took over domestic counter-espionage missions. Unlike the KGB, which centralized all intelligence activities, the SVR was placed under the direct supervision of the President of the Russian Federation, reinforcing its strategic role.
The first directors of the SVR, notably Yevgeny Primakov (1991-1996), restructured the organization to adapt it to the new post-Soviet geopolitical challenges. Priority was given to infiltrating Western economic and political networks, while retaining the old espionage methods established by the PGU.
Developments since 1991
After the dissolution of the USSR, the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) had to adapt to a new environment marked by Russia’s loss of influence and the rise of Western agencies. As early as 1992, several reforms were undertaken to restructure the agency. Initially named the Russian Federal Foreign Intelligence Service, it was renamed the SVR under the President of Russia, before taking on its definitive name. This change strengthened its direct link with the executive branch.
In the 1990s, the SVR refocused its activities on political and economic intelligence, seeking to preserve Russia’s influence in a multipolar world. It also stepped up its efforts in industrial and technological espionage, particularly in response to NATO expansion and rising tensions with the United States.
From the 2000s, under President Vladimir Putin, the SVR consolidated its role by developing advanced capabilities in cyberespionage and infiltration of foreign agencies. Cooperation with the GRU and FSB was stepped up to carry out joint operations, marking a phase of modernization and expansion for the service.
Structure and organization
Headquarters and location
The Russian Federation’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) is based in the Yasenevo district, southwest of Moscow. This headquarters, often referred to as “The Center”, is the heart of SVR operations. It houses the main divisions and operational units responsible for foreign intelligence. The Yasenevo complex is a highly secure facility, reflecting the SVR’s strategic importance in Russian national security policy.
Management
The SVR is headed by a Director who reports directly to the President of the Russian Federation. This position is crucial for coordinating foreign intelligence activities and implementing presidential security directives. Since 2016, the director of the SVR has been Sergei Narychkin. Born on October 27, 1954 in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), Narychkin is a graduate of the Leningrad Mechanical Institute and the KGB Academy. Prior to his appointment to the SVR, he held various government posts, including Head of the Presidential Administration and Chairman of the State Duma. His experience within the Russian state apparatus and his background in intelligence make him a key figure in the country’s security structure.
Key departments
The SVR is structured into several specialized departments, each with distinct responsibilities in the field of foreign intelligence. The main departments include:
- PR (Political Intelligence) Department: This department is responsible for collecting and analyzing political information from abroad. It monitors international political developments likely to affect Russian interests.
- Department S (Illegal Intelligence): Responsible for the infiltration of unofficial agents, this department manages clandestine operations where agents operate without diplomatic cover. These “illegals” are trained to integrate discreetly into foreign companies and gather sensitive information.
- Department X (Scientific and Technical Intelligence): This department focuses on acquiring information about scientific and technological advances abroad. It aims to maintain Russia’s technological competitiveness by monitoring international innovations.
- KR Department (Foreign Counterintelligence): Responsible for detecting and neutralizing espionage activities directed against Russia from abroad, this department protects national interests by identifying potential threats from foreign intelligence services.
- OT Department (Operational and Technical Support): Provides logistical and technical support for SVR operations, including secure communications technologies, specialized equipment and field support for missions abroad.
- Department R (Operations Analysis and Planning): This department oversees the strategic planning of intelligence operations. It analyzes the information gathered and draws up plans for future missions, ensuring their alignment with national objectives.
- Department I (IT Service): Responsible for digital data analysis and cybersecurity, this department processes information from online sources and protects the SVR’s IT infrastructure from cyberthreats.
- Economic Intelligence Department: This department is dedicated to gathering international economic information. It monitors world markets, foreign economic policies and financial transactions likely to influence the Russian economy.
This hierarchical structure enables the SVR to cover a wide range of areas, ensuring comprehensive information gathering to support the Russian Federation’s strategic decisions.
Personnel and recruitment
Recruitment process
The Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) of the Russian Federation pays particular attention to the recruitment of its agents. Applicants must be Russian citizens with no dual nationality. The selection process is rigorous and involves several stages. Applicants must demonstrate excellent physical condition, high intelligence, courage and dynamic activity. Fluency in foreign languages is also essential. Once selected, future agents undergo in-depth training at the Foreign Intelligence Academy. The program combines theoretical courses on the secret services, the history of the Soviet Union and Russia, with practical training. The latter includes simulated encounters with secret agents, the development of recruitment strategies and the drafting of coded messages.
Categories of personnel
The SVR employs different categories of personnel, each with specific roles.
- Operational officers: These career officers are responsible for conducting intelligence operations abroad. They may operate under official cover, as in embassies, or under unofficial cover as “illegals”, living under false identities with no apparent link to Russia.
- Analysts : Based mainly at SVR headquarters, analysts process and interpret information gathered by operational officers. Their job is to provide detailed reports to inform the Russian government’s strategic decisions.
- Support staff: This category includes technical specialists, translators, communications experts and administrative staff. Their role is to support SVR operations by providing the necessary resources and expertise.
This specialized, hierarchical structure enables the SVR to carry out its foreign intelligence missions effectively, drawing on a combination of operational, analytical and technical skills.
Missions and operations
Main objectives
The Russian Federation’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) is responsible for gathering intelligence abroad, protecting national interests and conducting clandestine operations. Its missions include monitoring political, economic, military and technological activities in other countries. The SVR provides Russian decision-makers with strategic analyses to guide foreign policy and national security. It also collaborates with other intelligence agencies, such as the GRU (Main Intelligence Directorate), to coordinate security efforts.
Notable operations
The Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) is involved in a number of intelligence operations around the world, including cyber espionage, political infiltration and industrial espionage. These operations are aimed at obtaining strategic information and strengthening the influence of the Russian Federation.
The SolarWinds affair (2020)
One of the most high-profile operations attributed to the SVR is the cyberattack on SolarWinds in 2020. This US company specializing in IT management was compromised by a sophisticated attack affecting over 18,000 customers, including US government agencies such as the Pentagon, the State Department and the US Treasury. The Sunburst malware, inserted in a software update, enabled prolonged access to the IT systems of these institutions. In April 2021, the United States officially accused SVR of being behind the operation. The attack highlighted the service’s ability to conduct cyberespionage and bypass advanced security systems.
Economic and scientific espionage
The SVR is also active in industrial and technological espionage. In 2008, Herman Simm, an Estonian Ministry of Defense official, was arrested for passing classified documents to Russia. He had access to sensitive information on NATO defense systems, enabling the SVR to obtain strategic details on Western military capabilities. This case revealed the extent of the Russian intelligence network in Europe and the SVR’s ability to recruit informants from sensitive institutions.
The “illegals” affair in the USA (2010)
In 2010, a cell of 10 sleeper agents operating in the USA under false identities was dismantled by the FBI. Among them was Anna Chapman, who attracted media attention due to her public profile and contacts with influential figures. The mission of these agents was to infiltrate American political and economic circles in order to gather strategic information. This case demonstrated that the SVR still uses traditional methods of human espionage to complement cyberespionage.
More recent operations
The SVR has stepped up its activities in Europe and North America, in particular by attempting to recruit agents from political and scientific institutions. In 2022, the Netherlands expelled an SVR agent who was attempting to infiltrate the International Criminal Court under a false Brazilian identity. This attempt demonstrates the service’s interest in international investigations and its use of illegal agents to gather sensitive information.
These examples illustrate the different strategies used by the SVR to achieve its objectives, combining cyberattacks, human infiltration and international economic espionage.
Relations with other agencies
National cooperation
The Russian Federation’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) interacts with several other Russian intelligence agencies to ensure national security. These include the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU).
- Federal Security Service (FSB): Primarily responsible for internal security and counter-espionage, the FSB collaborates with the SVR on issues affecting both internal and external security. Although their missions are distinct, coordination is necessary to deal with transnational threats. However, reports indicate that the FSB is seeking to expand its role in foreign intelligence, which may lead to friction with the SVR.
- Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU): As a military intelligence service, the GRU focuses on the military and strategic aspects of foreign intelligence. The SVR and GRU often operate in parallel, each with its own networks and objectives. This structure can lead to competition rather than cooperation, with each agency protecting its prerogatives and sources.
This internal dynamic is characterized by a combination of collaboration and competition, with each agency seeking to assert its influence in the intelligence field.
International cooperation
On the international scene, the SVR engages with various foreign intelligence agencies. These interactions are primarily aimed at exchanging information on common threats, such as international terrorism, arms proliferation and other transnational challenges.
- Western agencies: Historically, cooperation between the SVR and Western agencies such as the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has been limited. For example, in 1997, an SVR spokesman stated that collaboration with the CIA was virtually non-existent. citeturn0search16 However, occasional contacts do take place, notably to discuss urgent matters. In November 2022, a meeting between CIA and SVR directors was held in Ankara, at Washington’s request, to discuss sensitive international security issues.
- Agencies in neighboring countries: The SVR also maintains relations with the intelligence services of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). These collaborations are often closer due to geographical proximity and shared security interests. For example, the SVR may share information with the intelligence services of Kazakhstan or Belarus concerning regional threats.
It is important to note that, despite these interactions, the SVR maintains a cautious approach to its international relations, prioritizing the protection of Russian national interests and the confidentiality of its operations.
Interesting facts and anecdotes
Little-known stories
Gohar Vartanian is one of the most famous agents of the Russian Federation’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR). Born in 1926 in Leninakan (now Gyumri), she played a crucial role in the Teheran Conference of 1943. With her husband, Gevork Vartanian, she foiled Operation Long Jump, a Nazi plot to assassinate Allied leaders Joseph Stalin, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill. Their work led to the arrest of numerous German spies in Iran. After decades of service, Gohar Vartanian passed away in 2019 in Moscow.
Another intriguing aspect concerns the “illegals”, those agents operating without official diplomatic cover. Among them, Richard Sorge distinguished himself as a journalist in Japan during the Second World War. He provided valuable information on German military plans, contributing to Soviet defense. His secret identity was discovered, and he was executed in 1944.
Internal culture
The SVR’s internal culture is marked by specific traditions and rituals that reinforce the organization’s cohesion and identity. These practices include memorial ceremonies for fallen officers, mentoring programs where experienced officers pass on their knowledge to new recruits, and annual events celebrating operational successes. These traditions are designed to instill a sense of belonging and perpetuate the department’s core values.
Internally, the SVR also values continuous training. Agents are encouraged to develop their linguistic and technical skills to keep pace with developments in global intelligence. This culture of lifelong learning is essential to maintaining the service’s efficiency and responsiveness in the face of contemporary challenges.
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