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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Comrade officers, veterans,

My best wishes to you on Security Agency Worker’s Day! This holiday symbolises our nation’s respect for those who safeguard the country’s sovereignty and constitutional order, protect Russia's interests, individual rights and freedoms, thwart hostile plans of foreign intelligence agencies, and set examples of courage, bravery, as well as deft and unconventional approaches to operational work.

In the historical chronicles of the domestic security services, there are many glorious and heroic pages. On this day, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude, first and foremost, to our veterans. You have honourably withstood numerous challenging trials, and valiantly defended the Motherland against internal and external threats.

Today, as we face serious challenges, the personnel of the special services act skilfully and efficiently. I thank the employees of the Federal Security Service (FSB), the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), the Federal Guard Service (FSO), and the Main Directorate for Special Programmes for their high professionalism, courage, and determination, and for their efficient and coordinated work.

Over the past year, much has been done to provide counterintelligence support for the special military operation, to protect the lives and safety of our citizens in the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics, in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions.

We are aware that, with direct support from foreign intelligence agencies, the Kiev regime has openly resorted to terrorist methods, engaging, in fact, in state terrorism. This includes acts of sabotage at civilian sites, transport and energy infrastructure, terrorist attacks against peaceful citizens, representatives of authorities, and public figures.

To reiterate, we need to strengthen our counterterrorism efforts across all areas, to take advantage of the wide range of technical and operational capabilities of our special services, and to cooperate with the Defence Ministry and other agencies.

Greater attention is needed to protect the state borders, especially the areas in close proximity to the line of contact. Also, please provide all necessary assistance and support to the residents of border regions.

More active efforts are needed in all other key areas, such as combating extremism and corruption and cyberspace threats, protecting the country’s state secrets and economic interests, and ensuring that domestic companies and enterprises, including those currently solving critical defence and technological challenges, can reliably operate.

Of course, we must thwart any attempts by foreign intelligence services to destabilise the social and political situation in Russia, to undermine civil peace and interethnic accord, to interfere in our internal affairs, and to violate the sovereign and unshakable right of the Russian people to determine their own future.

Friends, the work of the security services is never easy. However, you possess all the necessary capabilities to safeguard the security of our country, society, and our citizens.

I am confident that you will continue to work productively to preserve and build on the best traditions of the profession, and in doing so will achieve new successes, honourably serving Russia and our great people.

Once again, I wish you a happy holiday and, of course, happy upcoming New Year 2024.

I wish you and your loved ones good health and happiness.