The company of the former head of Putin in the KGB will protect American diplomats in Russia

After the downsizing, the company owned by the former KGB counterintelligence officer, who worked with British double agent Kim Philby and young Vladimir Putin, will guard the US embassy in Moscow.

Elite Security Holdings signed with the US government an annual contract for 2,83 million dollars for the provision of "security services for the US mission in Russia," which includes the embassy in Moscow and consulates in St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and Vladivostok, the publication saidMerchant".

Their task is to prevent unauthorized access to the objects of a diplomatic mission, to protect the lives of its employees and their families, to prevent attacks on them, to maintain order and to prevent terrorist attacks.

Earlier, the American Embassy in Russia hired private security guards of the diplomatic mission directly, concluding individual contracts with specialists. This became impossible after the Russian Foreign Ministry ordered the reduction of the number of staff in the US diplomatic mission in the country 2,5 times in July. As a result, the US Embassy, ​​the Department of Diplomatic Security Bureau (DS) and the Department of Procurement (AQM) approved the conclusion of a contract for the provision of security services with Elite Security Holding.

Before signing an agreement with a Russian company, the State Department's procurement department employees appealed to US private security agencies, but they did not have either licenses or a desire to work in Russia.

Among the Russian security agencies, State Department officials were able to find only one company with competencies and licenses to provide security services in all four regions where the US diplomatic mission is located.

Holding Elite security in 1997, he was created by retired Major General of the Foreign Intelligence Service Viktor Budanov, now his son Dmitry is in charge.

On the official website of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Russia you can find interview Viktor Budanov about his work with the Soviet intelligence officer Kim Philby. The reference to the text states that Major General Budanov worked in Soviet intelligence since 1966, finished serving in 1992, “as the head of one of the directorates of the Foreign Intelligence Service”.

In later interview the edition of Pravda.Ru Budanov clarified that he served most of his career in the management of foreign counterintelligence. This structure performed the “internal security function” for Soviet intelligence, as well as the diplomatic missions and overseas agencies of the USSR.

“It so happened that I personally know the security officer of the US Embassy in Moscow,” Viktor Budanov told 2007, insisting on the similarity of approaches to the security of diplomatic missions in the KGB and the CIA. However, in this position in the US embassy since then, several people have changed.

В interviewpublished by edition Altapress.ru, Viktor Budanov also claimed that from 1987 to 1991, he worked for the KGB mission in East Germany, where the future president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, served under his leadership.

The former FSB officer and former owner of the Oskord security company Gennady Gudkov does not see anything strange in the choice of American diplomats.

“The employees of Oskorda, when I supervised them, also guarded diplomatic missions. People from the special services have definitely more confidence in their foreign colleagues than in people with an incomprehensible biography. Budanov has the reputation of the highest professional in the world. Finishing service in the state, the former employees of the opposing special services maintain excellent relations with each other. This is absolutely normal, ”Gudkov said.

At the US embassy, ​​the question was whether the State Department representatives were aware that the founder Elite Security - a retired major general of Russian foreign intelligence answered vaguely, stressing that before concluding the contract "a comprehensive financial and legal examination was carried out to ensure that the department does not violate the sanctions imposed by the US government."

The confrontation between Russia and the United States began in December last year, when the administration of US President Barack Obama imposed sanctions against 9 Russian institutions, companies and individuals, including against the GRU and the FSB, for “interfering in elections and putting pressure on American diplomats” working in Russia.

Also USA closed access to two residential complexes - the so-called suburban "dachas" of the Russian Permanent Mission in New York and the embassies in Washington, which are Russian diplomatic property. In addition, non grata persons were are announced 35 Russian diplomats. They were expelled from the country on the eve of New Year's Eve.

Given the change of power in the United States, Russia was in no hurry to respond. However, in early August of this year, Moscow decided to cut The number of American diplomats accredited in Russia, for 755 people - out of about 1,2 thousands of people working in Russia.

In addition, Russia has not forgotten about diplomatic dachas and reported that “the Russian side suspends since 1 in August, the US Embassy in Russia will use all storage facilities on Dorozhnaya Street in Moscow and summer cottages in Serebryanny Bor. ”

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