Ukraine-Russia war: Putin tells FSB to step up game against Western spies

Vladimir Putin has urged Russia’s FSB security service to step up its efforts to counter what he described as growing espionage and sabotage operations against Russia by Ukraine and the West.

Speaking to FSB officials on Tuesday, the Russian president said Western intelligence agencies “have thrown additional personnel, technical and other resources against us. We need to respond accordingly”.

Mr Putin said the agency had to stop “sabotage groups” entering Russia from Ukraine, step up protection of key infrastructure, and prevent any attempts by Western security services to revive what he called terrorist or extremist cells on Russian territory.

He instructed the FSB to prevent illegal weapons flows into Russia, and to strengthen security in four regions of Ukraine that Moscow has partially seized and claimed as part of its own territory.