# FSB Border Service of Russia

The Border Service of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (PS FSB Rossii) (Russian: Пограничная служба Федеральной службы безопасности Российской Федерации (ПС ФСБ России)) is a branch of the Federal Security Service of Russia tasked with patrol of the Russian border.
The terms Border Service of Russia (Russian: Пограничная служба России) and Border Force of Russia (Russian: Пограничные войска России) are also common, while in English, the terms "Border Guards" and "Border Troops" are frequently used to designate this service. The Border Service numbers around 170,000 active members, which includes the Russian maritime border guard units (i.e., the coast guard).

## History
### Tsarist and Imperial Russia

One can trace the origin of the Russian border service to 1571 and the work of Prince Mikhail Vorotynsky (died 1573) and his Great Abatis Border built along the southern boundaries of the Tsardom of Russia in the 16th century. In 1782 the Empress Catherine II of Russia established Border Customs Guard units, originally manned by Russian Cossacks as well as by low-ranking cavalry troops. In 1810 General Mikhail Barklay de Tolly organized numerous border posts along the entire western Russian border, manned by 11 regiments of Don and Bug Cossacks. Within two years Russian Border Guards became the first to oppose Napoleon's invasion of Russia (June 1812). In 1832 Cossacks and cavalry were replaced by armed customs officials subordinate to the Ministry of Finance in peacetime (in wartime the border guards were automatically transferred to the army). In the same year the government of Emperor Nicholas I established a coast guard – originally to observe coasts of the Black Sea and of the Sea of Azov.
Count Sergei Witte, the Russian Minister of Finance (1892–1903) in the government of Alexander III (reigned 1881–1894), reformed the service on 13 October 1893 into the Independent Border Guards Corps (IBGC – a para-military rather than a civilian organization) headed by an army general and reporting directly to the ministry.
In 1906 about 40,000 soldiers and officers served in the IBGC – maintaining the defence of the lengthy Imperial border. They served in 8 division-sized districts as well as in the Saint Petersburg headquarters unit.

### Soviet period

Soviet Border Troops, (Russian: Пограничные войска СССР, romanized: Pogranichnyie voiska SSSR) were the military border guard of the Soviet Union, subordinated to its subsequently reorganized state security agency: first to Cheka/OGPU, then to NKVD/MVD/MGB and, finally, to KGB. Accordingly, they were known as NKVD Border Troops and KGB Border Troops (with Russian abbreviations - НКВД СССР or - КГБ СССР added on the end of official names). Unlike border guards of many other countries, Soviet Border Troops were a centralized force including also the marine units of the Border Troops (i.e., a coast guard).

### Modern period

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Federal Border Service of Russia (Russian: Федеральная пограничная служба, romanized: Federal'naya pogranichnaya sluzhba, a.k.a. FPS) was created on December 30, 1993, as a separate government agency. The agency retained some old traditions, most notably the dark green-coloured uniform and Border Guards Day (an official holiday commemorated by celebrations of ex-servicemen). The First minister of the FPS was Andrei Nikolayev, a young and outspoken general who later became deputy of the State Duma. Russian Border Guards were also stationed outside of Russia most notably in southern Tajikistan, in order to guard the border with Afghanistan, until summer 2005. On the Afghan-Tajik border on many occasions they were engaged in heavy fighting with drug-traffickers and Islamic extremists. Armenia's closed border with Turkey and open border with Iran is also still guarded by the Russians. On March 11, 2003, the Russian president Vladimir Putin changed the status of the Border Service from a separate agency into a branch of the Russian Federal Security Service. The new conversion took effect on July 1, 2003. The current head of the FSB Border Service is General Vladimir Pronichev. The Border Service of Russia is tasked with a defence of the one of the longest national borders in the world.
In April 2012 Vladimir Pronichev announced that the country was planning to build 20 frontier posts in the Arctic region. Reasons for this development can be found in the increased abilities to explore hydrocarbon deposits in the north. It will also give Russia an ability to patrol and service the Northern Sea Route.
In July 2014 Ukraine opened a criminal case against the head of the FSB Border Service Vladimir Kulishov; he was accused of financing "illegal military groups" in Eastern Ukraine who at the time fought against the Ukrainian army.
Vladimir Kulishov claimed in May 2024 that about 70% of the weapons and equipment used by his service is "modern" (100% in the "operationally difficult" directions). He also said that more than 50 types of technical means were taken for supply by the service in 2023-2024, including UAVs, means to detect and counter them, coastal radars and thermal-optical imaging systems. About 150 domestic systems are in use.
In August 2024, Ukrainian forces crossed the border into Kursk Oblast during the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine resulting in part of the oblast becoming under Ukrainian occupation. Conscripts from the FSB Border Service unsuccessfully defended the Russia–Ukraine border in the Kursk Oblast.

## Mission

Responsibilities of the Border Service of Russia include:
* Defence of the Russian national border, prevention of illegal crossing of the land and sea border by people and goods (smuggling).
* Protection of economic interests of the Russian Federation and its natural resources within land and sea border areas, territorial waters and internal seas, including prevention of poaching and illegal fishing.
* Combat any threats to national security in the border area, including terrorism and foreign infiltration.

## Organization
### Command

* The head of the Border Service – General of the Army Vladimir Kulishov (deputy director of Russia's FSB)
* First Deputy Head of the Border Service – Lieutenant-General Vladimir Rozhkov
* First Deputy Head of the Border Service – the head of the Organizational Department, Colonel-General Mansur Masgutovich Valiev
* Deputy head of Russia's FSB Border Service – the chief international treaty management Lieutenant-General Alexander L. Manilov
* Deputy Chief of the Border Service – Lieutenant-General Victor Trofimovich Trufanov
* Deputy Chief of the Border Service – Maj. Gen. Alexander O. Mizon
* Deputy Chief of the Border Service – Maj. Gen. Nikolai Nikolaevich Rybalkin
* Deputy Chief of the Border Service – Lieutenant General Gennady Semenovich Simuhin

## Old FPS structure

FPS of Russia, the Federal Border Service (Russian: Федеральная пограничная служба, romanized: Federal'naya pogranichnaya sluzhba), active from 30 December 1994 to 1 July 2003, was headed by a single centralized system, which included:
* Border control;
* Foreign intelligence corps;
* Operational entities engaged in intelligence, counter, operational investigative activities, to ensure its own security system;
* FPS Border Troops;
* Border guards and other organs of the Border Service, provided by federal law;
* Military educational institutions, vocational education,
* Companies, institutions, and organizations in Russia under the FPS, according to federal law.

## Lineup

Changes in the regional structure of the Border Service, instead of ten regional border offices (see the old FPS structure) for the new scheme includes 7 regional border offices (in the federal districts) and 30 border offices in 2005. Includes the Coast Guard.
Regional border offices:
* FSB Regional Border Directorate of the Central Federal District
* FSB Regional Border Directorate of the Southern Federal District
* FSB Regional Border Directorate of the Ural Federal District
* FSB Regional Border Directorate of the Volga Federal District
* FSB Regional Border Directorate of the Siberian Federal District
* FSB Regional Border Directorate of the Northwestern Federal District
* FSB Regional Border Directorate of the Far Eastern Federal District
As adopted by presidential decree No. 457, dated April 23, 2001, the following educational institutions form part of the BS-FSS:
* Border Forces Academy of the BS-FSS
* Military Medical Institute, the Border Service of Russia's FSB in the Nizhny Novgorod State Medical Academy;
* Golitsynsky Military Institute of the Border Service;
* Kaliningrad Military Institute of the Border Service;
* Kurgan Military Institute of the Border Service;
* Moscow Border Institute of the FSB
* Khabarovsk Military Institute of the Border Service;
* The First Cadet Corps of the Border Service
Enterprises, institutions and organizations which are subordinate to the Border Service:
* Medical and health institutions;
* Repair plant;
* Parts logistics, technical, and other support.

## Foreign operations
### Armenia

The basis for the deployment of Russian border guards in Armenia is an interstate agreement concluded on September 30, 1992. The border department of the FSB of Russia in Armenia includes four border detachments: one in Gyumri, Armavir, Artashat and Meghri, as well as a separate checkpoint at the Zvartnots International Airport. The maintenance of about 4.5 thousand Russian border guards in Armenia is financed from the budgets of both states. Russian border guards also guard the borders of Armenia with Turkey and Iran. On 9 May 2024, Russian Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced that Russian border guards will continue to serve on Armenia's borders with Iran and Turkey, at the request of the Armenian side.

### Tajikistan

From 1992 to 2005, there was a Group of Russian Border Troops in the Republic of Tajikistan. Border guards were repeatedly and credibly suspected of being involved in the drugs trade across the Tajik-Afghan border. Senior officers arranged transfers by military aircraft.

### Abkhazia

In Abkhazia, the base of the coast guard patrol ships of the Russian FSB Border Guard Service is located in the seaside town of Ochamchire. The goal is to assist the Abkhaz Navy in ensuring the security of its maritime borders.