MOSCOW, April 7 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s intelligence services last year stopped 46 foreign officials and 258 agents from spying in the country, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday.
“Last year the efforts of security services helped to curb the activity of 46 career intelligence officials and 258 agents,” Putin said in an address to the Federal Security Service (FSB).
Putin called for tightening the security of national information resources, telecommunications and databases containing state secrets. Last year, over 9 million targeted attacks on Russian government websites were uncovered, he said.
“We should be prepared that such attempts to enter our information space will continue,” Putin said.
A series of coordinated cyber-attacks by hackers in mid-March interrupted services of several Russian government websites, including those of the Russian presidential administration, Central Bank, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The hacker attacks came amid heightened tensions with Ukraine over Crimea, which joined Russia following a referendum last month.