Russia confiscates passports from senior officials to stop defections
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Russia’s security services are confiscating the passports of senior officials and state company executives to prevent overseas travel, as paranoia over leaks and defections spreads through Vladimir Putin’s regime.
With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine still raging, security officers have tightened up travel requirements within the state sector, demanding the surrender of travel documents from some prominent figures and former officials, said several people familiar with the matter.
The increased pressure reflects deep suspicion in the Kremlin and FSB, the KGB’s successor agency, about the loyalty of Russia’s civilian elite, many of whom privately oppose the war in Ukraine and are chafing over its impact on their lifestyles. Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s spokesperson, confirmed Russia had tightened the restrictions on foreign travel for some who work in “sensitive” areas.
“There are stricter rules for this. In some places they are formalised and in some places they depend on a specific decision . . . about specific employees,” he told the FT. “Since the start of the special military operation, more attention has been paid to this issue.”
Executives at one major state industrial company are banned from travelling more than two hours’ drive from Moscow without official permission, one of the people said. In other cases, FSB officers have asked former officials who previously had access to state secrets to surrender their passports, and even some who never had access, said people familiar with the matter.
