FSB Scientific and Technical Service
Strategic Overview of the FSB Scientific and Technical Service
The Scientific and Technical Service (STS) of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) is a specialized component of the FSB that oversees and coordinates scientific, engineering, and technological support to state security missions. Within this construct, the STS incorporates multiple subordinate centers and directorates with distinct technical mandates, including information protection, special communications, and electronics development and testing. The entities identified include the 8th FSB Center (Information Protection and Special Communications), the 10th FSB Center (military unit 35533), an Organizational and Analytical Management element of the STS, and FSB unit 44239. The FSB is a federal executive body established under Federal Law No. 40-FZ of 3 April 1995, and its technical services operate within state secrecy regimes.
Legal Authority and Regulatory Mandates (Cryptography and Information Protection)
Under Russian legislation, the FSB is the designated federal executive authority for activities involving cryptographic (encryption) means, including licensing and certification of cryptographic products and services, and oversight of activities related to technical and cryptographic protection of information. This mandate derives from Federal Law No. 40-FZ (On the Federal Security Service) and is exercised through regulatory acts governing licensing in the cryptographic field. The FSB’s remit includes supervision of the use of Russian cryptographic standards (e.g., GOST R 34.10-2012 for digital signatures, GOST R 34.11-2012 for hashing, and GOST R 34.12-2015 for block ciphers). The Law of the Russian Federation No. 5485-1 of 21 July 1993 (On State Secrets) establishes the secrecy framework that restricts public disclosure of detailed information about cryptographic infrastructure and related facilities.
8th FSB Center — Information Protection and Special Communications
Designation: Information Protection and Special Communications (8th FSB Center). Reported commander: Andrey Ivashko. The center’s title and publicly acknowledged FSB authorities indicate responsibilities for securing communications and safeguarding information within the FSB’s purview, including deployment and operation of protected communication channels and cryptographic support in accordance with Russian legal mandates. Detailed organizational structure, site locations, and equipment inventories are not published in open sources and are covered by state secrecy regulations.
10th FSB Center (military unit 35533) — Reported Development and Testing Functions
Designation: 10th FSB Center; military unit 35533. Reported commander: Yuriy Ugolnikov. According to the provided information, this center is engaged in the development, production, and testing of electronic equipment for programs serving both the national military-industrial complex and civilian enterprises. Open-source materials on this unit are limited; precise facility locations, technical specifications, and program portfolios are not officially disclosed and are likely restricted under state secrecy statutes.
Organizational and Analytical Management of the STS — Role and Oversight
Designation: Organizational and Analytical Management of the FSB Scientific and Technical Service. Reported commander: Dmitriy Silantyev. The title indicates a headquarters-level function responsible for coordination, planning, and analytical oversight across the STS’s technical centers and initiatives. Publicly available documentation does not detail its internal structure, staffing, or specific lines of effort, which are typically classified given the sensitivity of FSB technical programs.
FSB Military Unit 44239 — Open-Source Visibility
Designation: military unit 44239. The unit is identified as part of the FSB; however, mission description, location, and organizational details are not available in open, authoritative sources. Given the FSB’s secrecy requirements, further specifics are either unpublished or classified.
Locations and Facilities — Publicly Available Information
The FSB’s central apparatus is headquartered in Moscow. For the STS and its subordinate centers, official sources do not publish specific site addresses, facility layouts, or infrastructure details. Central technical centers of federal executive bodies are commonly situated in Moscow or the Moscow region, but definitive locations for the 8th FSB Center, the 10th FSB Center (military unit 35533), and unit 44239 are not confirmed in public records. Where units appear in state procurement registers, detailed location fields are frequently redacted or omitted due to secrecy constraints.
Infrastructure Capabilities — Scope Consistent with Declared Missions
Within the constraints of publicly acknowledged mandates, the identified centers’ activities encompass information protection and special communications (secure communications channels, cryptographic support and keying services, certification and compliance) and development, production, and testing of electronic equipment (research and development laboratories, integration and test environments, and specialized electronics verification). Specific equipment types, network architectures, and laboratory capabilities are not disclosed in unclassified sources.
Procurement and Industry Interfaces
Russian federal entities, including the FSB, procure specialized communications security and electronics via state contracting mechanisms that allow closed or restricted procedures for classified programs. Where visible, contracts often list military unit numbers as customers; however, descriptions are usually generic and technical annexes are withheld. The reported remit of the 10th FSB Center aligns with interaction with domestic civilian enterprises for dual-use and special-purpose electronics, but individual suppliers, contract values, and technical specifications are generally not available in open sources.
Leadership Notes and Verification Status
Reported leadership: Mikhail Mikhailov (FSB Scientific and Technical Service); Andrey Ivashko (8th FSB Center); Yuriy Ugolnikov (10th FSB Center, military unit 35533); Dmitriy Silantyev (Organizational and Analytical Management of the STS). Open official publications do not routinely list commanders at this echelon, and independent confirmation from authoritative public sources is limited. Absence of official publication does not confirm or refute these assignments; it reflects standard secrecy practices.
Security and Classification Constraints
Details concerning internal organization, site addresses, inventories of cryptographic and communications systems, testing facilities, and personnel assignments for FSB technical units are protected under the Law on State Secrets and related regulations. As a result, analysis of these sites in the public domain is constrained to high-level roles, legal mandates, and limited references available through open records. Where information is not publicly available or is classified, it cannot be provided.