The counter-intelligence chief of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has resigned abruptly shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized Moscow law enforcement’s “serious blunder” in not preventing a top general’s assassination.
While news outlets are reporting that Colonel General Nikolai Yuryev, the head of the FSB’s military counterintelligence department, resigned on December 16 because of dissatisfaction with his work caused by “failures in operational work along the line of the Ministry of Defense,” many online have speculated that he was fired.
Telegram news channel Siren reported that he resigned “of his own free will.”
Newsweek has reached out to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation for comment via email.
Colonel General Nikolai Yuryev, left, speaks to Russian Deputy Defense Minister Tatyana Shevtsova at a military technical forum in 2023. Yuryev has resigned from his position as the head of the FSB department for counterintelligence…. Colonel General Nikolai Yuryev, left, speaks to Russian Deputy Defense Minister Tatyana Shevtsova at a military technical forum in 2023. Yuryev has resigned from his position as the head of the FSB department for counterintelligence.
Maksim Blinov/Associated Press
Why It Matters
Yuryev’s sudden departure from the FSB is significant because if the rumors are true and he was fired by Putin, it signals a restructuring within Russian law enforcement that may have ramifications for the war in Ukraine. Numerous staffing changes in Moscow’s military and law enforcement could potentially change war strategies and tactics deployed by the Russians against Ukraine.
What To Know
Yuryev had been the head of his department in the FSB since 2018, which was involved in “suppressing illegal activities of foreign intelligence agencies in relation to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, combating terrorism and sabotage, and ensuring the protection of state secrets,” according to news agency Avia.pro.
Putin has previously stressed the importance of the function of the FSB.
“The counterintelligence agencies, primarily the military, face important tasks,” Putin said, according to the Telegram news outlet Agency News. “Your actions in the troops, especially in units participating in a special military operation, must be clear and systematic. In general, it is necessary to promptly stop the work of foreign intelligence agencies, actively combat those who organize sabotage and terrorist attacks, and identify spies and traitors.”
If Yuryev was fired, it would seem he likely failed to meet one or more of Putin’s aforementioned standards.
Yuryev’s reported resignation swiftly followed the assassination of Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, 54, who was killed on Tuesday by Ukraine’s special service (SBU) when a bomb hidden in a scooter detonated. Kirillov was the chief of Russia’s nuclear, biological and chemical protection forces, and his death came after he was charged by Ukraine with utilizing banned chemical weapons.
Putin spoke about Kirillov’s assassination during his annual press conference on Thursday and said that it “of course, means that our law enforcement and special services are missing these attacks. We just need to improve this work and not allow such serious blunders for us.”
What People Are Saying
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Igor Sushko, a Ukrainian American writer, wrote: “Leak from Russia: Chief of FSB Military Counterintelligence Colonel-General Nikolai Yuryev was informed by Putin on October 6th that he will be sacked on or after November 25th, 2024 – his birthday. Yuryev is directly responsible for torture and execution of countless Ukrainians.”
In a statement to the news outlet PolitNavigator, Vladislav Shurygin, a military expert, wrote: “Most likely, the departure of the head of the OVKR is not directly related to the death of the head of the RCBZ troops. Back in October, rumors began to circulate that the head of the FSB military counterintelligence department, Nikolai Yuryev, would soon leave his post. The date was also mentioned – after November 25, when the general turns 65. In fact, this is exactly what happened.
“As for the terrorist attack on Ryazansky Prospekt, it is incorrect to blame the OVKR for it. The task of military counterintelligence is to protect military infrastructure from enemy agents from within. The number of military counterintelligence officers is small – OVKR departments in units and their rights outside the military system are very limited. The situation outside the fence of military garrisons is the FSB’s area of responsibility. “
Mikhail Zvinchuk, a former employee of the press service of the Ministry of Defense, wrote: “The decree on the head of the Far Eastern Military District, Yuryev, was issued three weeks ago: all this time he was handing over his affairs and position… His resignation from the position is in no way connected with the murder of Lieutenant General Kirillov.”
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether Yuryev’s reported resignation is one of many in the aftermath of Kirilov’s assassination.
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