Vladimir Putin’s secret service agents are refusing to work in Russian -occupied areas of Ukraine in a major Kremlin snub.
Even salaries six to eight times higher than normal levels are failing to persuade counter-intelligence officers to move to invaded areas.
Putin urgently needs both regular and military intelligence operatives to enforce his rule in the two “people’s republics” in eastern Ukraine, Donetsk and Luhansk, but also in Kherson, Zaporozhzhia and Kharkiv regions.
But FSB agents are avoiding such postings, resorting to obtaining medical certificates from complaint doctors for themselves or family members, allowing them to remain in their home locations, says ‘We Can Explain’ independent media.
Putin’s “siloviki” secret services chiefs are even trying to woo back retired or fired agents for war zone roles.
But there is little or no interest, an FSB source told the Telegram channel.
The source said: “We called 200 [retired] people and only three said they would think about it.
“This is despite the promises of huge payments and benefits.”
Officers have been offered around £5,000 a month to service in occupied zones, it is claimed.
This is up to eight times their normal pay, and far more than payments to soldiers fighting in the war.
“Personnel departments are actively calling former employees, even those dismissed on discrediting grounds,” stated the report.
The lack of loyalty to Putin from the rank and file intelligence operatives mirrors a reluctance from troops to be posted to the war zone, which has resulted in the Kremlin desperately recruiting untrained prisoners and “Dad’s Army” civilians for frontline deployment.
Some officers report that they are “exhausted” by almost six months of intensive duties with holidays cancelled during the war.
Many are seeking to quit the service, it was claimed.
The FSB - Russia's Federal Security Service - was once headed by Putin.
The current head is close Putin ally Alexander Bortnikov.
The report says there had been open dissent in the ranks with some FSB officers sent to remote postings in eastern Siberia as demonstrative punishments intended to warn others to toe the line.
“The shortage of personnel in the special service is also confirmed by a draft decree submitted by the FSB itself,” said ‘We Can Explain’.
“This will allow the signing of contracts with [recruits] with only secondary education, not higher, as was required before, and with those who do not have experience of military service.”
