Alexander Bortnikov
Alexander Bortnikov | |
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Director of the Federal Security Service | |
Assumed office 12 May 2008 | |
Preceded by | Nikolai Patrushev |
Personal details | |
Born |
Alexander Vasilyevich Bortnikov 15 November 1951 Perm, Soviet Union |
Education | FSB Academy |
Alma mater | Petersburg State Transport University |
Military service | |
Allegiance |
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Service/branch | Federal Security Service |
Years of service | 1975–present |
Rank | General of the Army |
Alexander Vasilyevich Bortnikov (Russian: Алекса́ндр Васи́льевич Бо́ртников; born 1951) is a Russian official. He has been Director of the FSB since May 12, 2008.
Career
Bortnikov was born in Perm, Soviet Union. He graduated from the Leningrad Institute of Railway Engineers in 1973.[1]
From 1975 to 2004 he worked in the KGB and its successors in Leningrad/Saint Petersburg. From June 2003 to March 2004 he was the Chief of the St. Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast Federal Security Service (FSB) Directorate.
From February 24, 2004, to May 12, 2008, he was Head of the Economic Security Service of FSB and a Deputy Director of FSB.
Controversies
In February 2007 Russian magazine The New Times wrote about the plan to murder Alexander Litvinenko with reference to "a source in the FSB": "People from the top management of the agency had taken part in the elaboration of the plan, maintains an FSB source. And, allegedly, FSB Director Patrushev knew about it. According to the same source, Head of the FSB Economic Security Department general-lieutenant Alexander Bortnikov had allegedly been appointed overseer of the operation."[2] In May 2007 he was reported to have been implicated in a money-laundering case investigated by the RF Interior Ministry in connection with the murder of the Central Bank Deputy Head Andrey Kozlov.[3][4]
On May 12, 2008, he was appointed Director of the FSB by President Dmitry Medvedev and is believed by some security analysts to be Medvedev's man.[5]
He is also a member of the board of directors of Sovkomflot.
In December 2017 in an open letter published by Kommersant more than 30 Russian academics slammed Bortnikov for seeking to legitimize the Stalinist Great Purge because in an interview with Rossiiskaya Gazeta published to mark 100 years since the establishment of the Cheka Bortnikov said the archives show that “a significant part” of the criminal cases of that period “had an objective side to them.”[6]
Honours and awards
- Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th classes
- Order of Military Merit
- Medal of Honour
- Diploma of the Government of the Russian Federation (15 November 2006) - for his great personal contribution to the economic security of the country and many years of honest service
Footnotes
- ↑ "Biographies of the political leaders of the Medvedev Administration" (PDF). Barcelona Centre for International Affairs. 2010.
- ↑ Кто и зачем убил Литвиненко. (Who and wherefore killed Litvinenko) Archived 2008-05-29 at the Wayback Machine. The New Times №1 February 5, 2007.
- ↑ Австрийская полиция может возбудить дело против ключевых чиновников Кремля, утверждает New Times NEWSru.com May 23, 2007.
- ↑ Officials are taking money away to the West Archived 2008-05-17 at the Wayback Machine. by Natalia Morar, The New Times № 15, May 21, 2007 English translation Archived 2008-03-17 at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ FSB Shuffle Seen Helping Medvedev Archived 2008-05-17 at the Wayback Machine. The Moscow Times May 13, 2008.
- ↑ Russian academics slam FSB security chief for comments on Stalin’s purgesThe Japan Times December 24, 2017.
External links
Media related to Alexander Vasilyevich Bortnikov at Wikimedia Commons - His page in electronic database "anticompromat.ru" (Russian) and his index page, by Vladimir Pribylovsky
Government offices | ||
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Preceded by Sergei Smirnov |
Chief of the St. Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast FSB Directorate June 2003 – March 2004 |
Succeeded by Yury Ignashchenkov |
Preceded by Yury Zaostrovtsev |
Head of the Economic Security Service of FSB February 24, 2004 – May 12, 2008 |
Succeeded by ? |
Preceded by Nikolay Patrushev |
Director of the FSB May 12, 2008–present |
Incumbent |