FSB Special Equipment Center (11th FSB Center)
Executive Summary
The FSB Special Equipment Center (also referred to as the 11th FSB Center; military unit 68240) and the FSB Criminalistics Institute (military unit 34435) are specialized technical and scientific elements of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB). Open-source records describe the Special Equipment Center as responsible for development, procurement, and operational employment of specialized technical means that support FSB operational-search activities. The FSB Criminalistics Institute provides expert forensic and scientific support, including chemical and materials analysis, and is widely reported to be subordinate to, or closely integrated with, the Special Equipment Center. Where official confirmations are lacking, this assessment relies on publicly available legal texts, sanctions notices, court and procurement traces, and investigative reporting up to October 2024.
Nomenclature and Identifiers
FSB Special Equipment Center: commonly cited in Russian sources as the “Center for Special Equipment of the FSB of Russia” (Центр специальной техники ФСБ России), frequently identified as the “11th FSB Center,” and associated with military unit number 68240. FSB Criminalistics Institute: commonly cited as the “Institute of Criminalistics of the FSB of Russia” (Институт криминалистики ФСБ России), also referenced as “NII-2 of the FSB” (НИИ-2 ФСБ) or “IKS FSB,” and associated with military unit number 34435. These identifiers appear in open procurement artifacts, judicial decisions, and sanctions listings; the FSB does not publish a comprehensive official directory of unit numbers.
Organizational Placement
Public sources consistently describe the Special Equipment Center as part of the FSB’s scientific-technical and operational-technical support apparatus. Multiple reports indicate that the FSB Criminalistics Institute functions within, or in close subordination to, the Special Equipment Center, providing laboratory, expert, and methodological support to operational directorates (e.g., counterintelligence, counterterrorism, and investigative support). Precise chains of command and internal divisions are classified and not published by the FSB; therefore, exact placement cannot be independently confirmed from official documents.
FSB Special Equipment Center (11th Center) – Mission and Functions
The Center’s mission is widely described as the design, acquisition, testing, and fielding of special technical means that enable operational-search activities under Russian law (notably Law No. 144-FZ of 12 August 1995). Reported functions include technical surveillance and counter-surveillance support; communications and data interception support conducted under domestic legal authorizations; provision and maintenance of covert-entry, audio/video, tracking, and related technical equipment; and technical training and advisory support to FSB operational units and regional directorates.
FSB Special Equipment Center – Infrastructure and Capabilities
Open-source references attribute to the Center research-and-development sections, test laboratories, and maintenance/depot functions for specialized technical equipment. It interfaces with domestic defense-industrial suppliers for procurement and certification of operational-technical devices and supports nationwide fielding of such systems via FSB territorial bodies. Exact facility layouts, security measures, program portfolios, and equipment inventories are classified and not publicly disclosed.
FSB Special Equipment Center – Unit Designation and Leadership Notes
Military unit number 68240 is repeatedly associated in public reporting with the FSB Special Equipment Center. The provided commander name, Vladimir Bogdanov, is widely identified in open sources as the long-serving commander of the FSB Special Purpose Center (TsSN FSB), which oversees spetsnaz units such as “Alpha” and “Vympel” and is a distinct entity from the Special Equipment Center. There is no official, publicly available confirmation that Vladimir Bogdanov commands the Special Equipment Center (m/u 68240). Current, authoritative leadership details for the Special Equipment Center are not published by the FSB.
FSB Criminalistics Institute – Mission and Functions
The Institute provides forensic and scientific support to FSB operations, including expert examination of materials, chemicals, explosives, biological traces, and digital media. Public reporting attributes to the Institute advanced analytical laboratories (e.g., chromatography/mass-spectrometry platforms, trace analysis, toxicology), expert-witness services for judicial proceedings, and development of methodologies and specialized instrumentation in support of the FSB’s operational needs. Internal programmatic details are classified.
FSB Criminalistics Institute – Unit Designation and International Actions
Military unit number 34435 is commonly linked in open sources to the FSB Criminalistics Institute. Western governments publicly identified the Institute in 2021 in connection with the poisoning of Alexei Navalny with a nerve agent and imposed restrictions under national sanctions regimes (United States, European Union, United Kingdom, and Canada). These public actions cite the Institute’s role within the FSB’s technical and scientific support structure. Specific internal tasking orders, organizational charts, and facility details remain classified and are not publicly available.
Geographic Disposition
Both the Special Equipment Center and the Criminalistics Institute are described in open sources as headquartered in the Moscow area. The Special Equipment Center supports FSB territorial bodies across the Russian Federation, implying a distributed footprint via regional elements or liaison channels. Precise street addresses, building schematics, entry points, staffing levels by site, and security arrangements are not disclosed in official sources and are therefore not included here.
Legal and Regulatory Framework
Activities of these entities are conducted under the Federal Law “On the Federal Security Service” (No. 40-FZ of 3 April 1995) and the Law “On Operational-Search Activities” (No. 144-FZ of 12 August 1995), among other normative acts and FSB orders (many of which are non-public). Technical standards, procurement specifications, and directives relevant to operational-technical means are often classified. Russian court rulings and procurement artifacts occasionally reference these entities by name or unit number, providing limited open-source corroboration of their roles.
Operational Relevance
The Special Equipment Center equips and enables the FSB’s operational directorates with specialized technical capabilities at national scale, while the Criminalistics Institute supplies expert analysis and evidentiary support. Together, they underpin the FSB’s ability to conduct technical surveillance, investigative support, and scientific examinations in counterintelligence, counterterrorism, and internal security cases. Their roles are integral to the FSB’s operational cycle but are largely obscured by state-secrecy protections.
Information Gaps and Confidence Assessment
Key details—such as exact leadership rosters, internal structures, program inventories, facility locations, and budgets—are not publicly disclosed and are protected by Russian state-secrecy law. The association of m/u 68240 with the Special Equipment Center and m/u 34435 with the Criminalistics Institute is widely reflected in open sources but cannot be verified against official FSB publications. Assertions linking Vladimir Bogdanov to command of the Special Equipment Center conflict with his widely reported command of the FSB Special Purpose Center; absent official confirmation, that specific leadership detail should be treated as unconfirmed.