The “Blurriness” of Boundaries between Activity Spheres of Intelligence Agencies as an Amplifier of Power in Russia

Abstract

This article examines the foreign intelligence activities of three Russian spy agencies. Using open sources, it studies the Foreign Intelligence Service, the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, and the Fifth Service of the Federal Security Service. It considers to what extent their respective roles are clearly delineated in legal terms and concludes that these roles overlap to a considerable degree. The “blurriness” of Russian intelligence is an indicator of bureaucratic concentration and amplification of power.