“The activity of foreign intelligence services operating in Russia is increasing. More than 230 staff and agents from foreign intelligence services have been disclosed just through counterintelligence,” Putin said at a gala evening marking Security Agency Worker's Day.
The president stressed that Russian security services must pay the most serious attention to the protection of state borders.
In 2013, Russian security agencies disclosed a total of 258 foreign agents and 46 intelligence staff, Putin said in April.
The previous year, some 181 agents and 34 foreign intelligence service employees were identified by Russian counterintelligence services, according to the president.
More than 60 crimes connected with terrorism, including eight terrorist attacks were prevented by the Russian security services in 2014, Vladimir Putin stated.
"This year, thanks to your decisive actions 60 crimes connected with terrorism were prevented, eight of them were terrorist attacks. Activity of 46 terrorist and extremist groups was disrupted," Putin said addressing the representatives of the Russian security services who gathered at the State Kremlin Palace in Moscow to celebrate Security Agency Worker's Day.
At his March meeting with senior security and law enforcement officers, President Putin said that 82 terrorism-related crimes had been prevented in 2013, including 13 terrorist attacks.
No One Managed to Intimidate, Contain, Isolate Russia or Ever Will
“Obviously, no one will manage to intimidate, contain, isolate Russia. Nobody has ever succeeded in it and will never succeed,” Putin said in Kremlin in his address marking the Security Agency Worker's Day.
The president reminded that numerous attempts of Russia’s intimidation and isolation had been undertaken throughout the XX century. Vladimir Putin reminded that those attempts had failed, but Russia had to face challenges and give a proportional response to any threat for the country’s sovereignty.
Moscow has repeatedly criticized the stance of the United States, the European Union and their allies on Ukraine, saying that in order to resolve the conflict, interests of all parties, including Russian-speaking population in Ukraine’s southeast, should be taken into consideration.
During the annual press conference on Thursday, Russian president said the main problem of current international relations was that West was reluctant to regard Russia as an equal partner or recognize its right to pursue its own global policy.