FSB Military Counterintelligence Department (3rd FSB Department)
Scope and Source Summary
The entries describe elements of the Federal Security Service (FSB) Military Counterintelligence structure (commonly referred to in open sources as the 3rd FSB Department/Service) and list associated military unit numbers, an identified headquarters location in Moscow, and named commanders for multiple subordinate directorates aligned to Russian Armed Forces branches, military districts, strategic nuclear forces, and the National Guard (Rosgvardiya). Where personal assignments and unit numbers are stated, they are treated here as reported by the provided dataset; independent open-source corroboration is limited in several cases.
Organizational Overview—FSB Military Counterintelligence (3rd FSB Department)
FSB military counterintelligence is responsible for counterintelligence, internal security, and protection of state secrets within the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and other militarized formations. Its legal authorities derive from: Federal Law No. 40-FZ “On the Federal Security Service” (3 April 1995), Federal Law No. 144-FZ “On Operational-Search Activities” (12 August 1995), and the Law of the Russian Federation No. 5485-1 “On State Secrets” (21 July 1993). Functions typically include counterespionage, sabotage prevention, personnel vetting, security regime enforcement at military installations, oversight of classified information handling, and coordination with military prosecutors and investigative bodies on relevant criminal cases under the Russian Criminal Code (e.g., treason and espionage articles).
Headquarters Location—12 Bolshaya Lubyanka, Moscow
The address Bolshaya Lubyanka 12, Moscow, is the publicly known location of the FSB central headquarters complex at Lubyanka Square. The site historically served as the headquarters of Soviet and Russian state security organs and houses central administrative directorates. It is a secure, access-controlled facility supporting national-level command, communications, archives, and administrative functions. The provided dataset associates military unit 70850 and the 3rd FSB Department with this headquarters location; specific internal office allocations at this site are not publicly disclosed.
Military Unit Numbers and Legal Status
Russian security and defense organizations commonly use numeric military unit identifiers (в/ч) for administrative and secrecy purposes. The dataset lists v/ch 70850 for the FSB Military Counterintelligence Department headquarters and v/ch 3600 for the FSB Military Intelligence Department for Rosgvardiya. Comprehensive official registries of FSB unit numbers are not publicly available, and many such designations are classified. As a result, open-source verification of these specific unit-number associations is limited.
Coverage by Service and District—Functional Footprint
The listed directorates align FSB military counterintelligence coverage to major force groupings: Rosgvardiya (National Guard); Aerospace Forces (VKS); Long-Range Aviation (DA) and Military Transport Aviation (VTA); the Central, Western, Southern, and Eastern Military Districts; the Pacific Fleet; the 12th Chief Directorate of the Ministry of Defense (12th GUMO, responsible for nuclear munitions); and the Strategic Missile Forces (RVSN) 27th Guards Missile Army and 33rd Missile Army. Such directorates typically execute counterintelligence and security tasks across their respective headquarters and subordinate formations, including oversight of access regimes, classified communications security, and insider-threat mitigation. Specific site locations of these FSB directorates within the serviced commands are not publicly disclosed.
Command Personnel (as reported)
The dataset lists the following assignments; these are presented as reported, with no additional open-source corroboration provided here and recognizing that postings can change: - FSB Military Counterintelligence Department (3rd FSB Department), v/ch 70850, HQ: Moscow, Bolshaya Lubyanka 12; Commander: Lieutenant General Nikolai Yuryev. - FSB Military Intelligence Department for Rosgvardiya, v/ch 3600; Commander: Lieutenant General Vyacheslav Ryazansky. - FSB Military Intelligence Department for the Aerospace Forces; Commander: Evgeniy Puchkov. - FSB Military Intelligence Department for Long-Range and Military-Transport Aviation; Commander: Gleb Kurbatsky. - FSB Military Intelligence Department for the Central Military District; Commander: Major General Viktor Pavlenko. - FSB Military Intelligence Department for the Western Military District; Commander: Alexey Pushkarev. - FSB Military Intelligence Department for the Southern Military District; Commander: Evgeniy Grigoriev. - FSB Military Intelligence Department for the Eastern Military District; Commander: Dmitry Tsygankov. - FSB Military Intelligence Department for the Pacific Fleet; Commander: Sergey Shcherbachenko. - FSB Military Intelligence Department for the 12th Chief Directorate; Commander: Pavel Nekryata. - FSB Military Intelligence Department for the RVSN 27th Guards Missile Army; Commander: Oleg Sukhanov. - FSB Military Intelligence Directorate for the RVSN 33rd Missile Army; Commander: Sergey Brakorenko.
Rosgvardiya Interface
Rosgvardiya was established by Presidential Decree No. 157 on 5 April 2016 as a federal executive body with military status. FSB military counterintelligence elements supporting Rosgvardiya focus on counterintelligence and security oversight of militarized units and sensitive facilities under Rosgvardiya control (e.g., special-purpose units, critical-asset guarding formations). The dataset associates this coverage with v/ch 3600 and names Lieutenant General Vyacheslav Ryazansky as commander (as reported; not independently verified here).
Aerospace Forces, Long-Range Aviation, and Military Transport Aviation Coverage
The Aerospace Forces (VKS) were formed on 1 August 2015 by merging the Air Force and Aerospace Defense Forces. Long-Range Aviation (DA) commands Russia’s strategic bomber force; Military Transport Aviation (VTA) provides strategic and operational airlift. FSB military counterintelligence directorates aligned to these components conduct counterintelligence support to airbases, aviation regiments/divisions, operations centers, and maintenance depots handling sensitive technologies, munitions, and flight operations. The dataset lists Evgeniy Puchkov (VKS) and Gleb Kurbatsky (DA and VTA) as commanders (as reported).
Military Districts and Fleet Coverage
FSB military counterintelligence maintains directorates aligned with military districts and fleets to match command boundaries and logistical hubs. The dataset lists coverage for the Central (HQ: Yekaterinburg), Western (HQ: historically St. Petersburg), Southern (HQ: Rostov-on-Don), and Eastern (HQ: Khabarovsk) Military Districts, and for the Pacific Fleet (HQ: Vladivostok). These HQ locations are publicly known for the serviced commands themselves; the internal siting of FSB directorates within those commands is not publicly disclosed. The named commanders are presented as reported in the dataset.
Strategic Nuclear Enterprise Coverage—12th GUMO and RVSN
The 12th Main Directorate of the Ministry of Defense (12th GUMO) manages nuclear munitions storage, maintenance, and transport across a national network of secure facilities. The Strategic Missile Forces (RVSN) operate Russia’s land-based ICBM force; the 27th Guards Missile Army (historically HQ: Vladimir) and 33rd Missile Army (historically HQ: Omsk) are top-level RVSN operational commands. FSB military counterintelligence directorates aligned to these entities focus on protection of state secrets, insider-threat mitigation, access control, and counterespionage at nuclear-related and strategic missile sites. The dataset lists Pavel Nekryata (12th GUMO coverage), Oleg Sukhanov (RVSN 27th), and Sergey Brakorenko (RVSN 33rd) as commanders (as reported).
Infrastructure and Facilities Footprint
FSB military counterintelligence elements typically operate from secure offices within serviced command headquarters, major garrisons, air bases, naval bases, strategic rocket formations, and specialized storage/maintenance sites. Facilities generally include controlled-access office spaces, interview rooms, secure communications and information systems, document control/registry sections, and evidence storage where authorized. Training and liaison functions are conducted with unit security officers and regime/protection staffs. Specific facility layouts, access procedures, and technical systems details are not publicly available.
Command, Control, and Interagency Interfaces
Directorates aligned to services, districts, and fleets report through the FSB chain of command while coordinating with serviced command staffs. They retain FSB authorities and are organizationally distinct from the Ministry of Defense and Rosgvardiya command structures. Interfaces typically include military prosecutors, investigative committees, regime/security officers, cryptographic services, and classified information protection offices. Tasking and reporting on counterintelligence matters proceed to FSB central elements at Moscow Lubyanka; operational coordination with local command posts is routine within legal authorities.
Security Tasks and Legal Authorities
Core tasks include: counterintelligence support to operations; prevention/detection of espionage and sabotage; protection of state secrets; personnel reliability screening and clearance verification; security incident response; and oversight of secure communications/crypto use under applicable regulations. Legal authorities encompass counterintelligence and operational-search measures under Federal Laws No. 40-FZ and 144-FZ, and state secrets protection under Law No. 5485-1. Investigative actions proceed in coordination with authorized investigative bodies and prosecutors per the Russian Criminal Procedure Code.
Recent Structural Developments Affecting Areas of Responsibility
The Ministry of Defense publicly announced plans in 2023 to re-establish the Moscow and Leningrad Military Districts, implying changes to the Western Military District’s boundaries and command relationships. Such reforms can alter the alignment and workload of associated counterintelligence directorates. Implementation timelines, internal staffing, and resultant FSB organizational adjustments are not comprehensively detailed in open sources.
Known Public Data and Verification Status
Publicly verifiable elements include: the existence and role of FSB military counterintelligence; the FSB central headquarters location at 12 Bolshaya Lubyanka, Moscow; the existence and roles of Rosgvardiya, VKS, DA, VTA, the four post-2010 military districts, the Pacific Fleet, 12th GUMO, and the RVSN with its missile armies. The specific military unit numbers (v/ch 70850 and 3600) and the named commanders for the listed directorates are presented as reported by the dataset; comprehensive open-source confirmation for these particulars is limited.
Information Gaps and Classification Constraints
Details typically not available in the public domain include: precise internal office locations within headquarters and bases; personnel rosters, contact data, and duty schedules; secure communications identifiers and frequencies; access-control procedures and technical security configurations; specific investigative case information; and full lists of military unit numbers linked to FSB directorates. Such information is restricted or classified, and cannot be provided.