--- title: "Putin expands FSO staff for the fourth time: central apparatus grows to 812 personnel" description: "Putin has expanded the staff of the FSO's central apparatus for the fourth time since the start of the invasion — from 785 to 812 personnel. Over four years, the size of the security service has grown by nearly 100 employees." date: 2026-08-31T19:52:03.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/putin-expands-fso-central-apparatus-staff-en tags: [fso, putin, russia, security, ukraine-war] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Putin expands FSO staff for the fourth time: central apparatus grows to 812 personnel ![Vladimir Putin at a security meeting, signing the decree for the fourth expansion of the FSO staff to 812 personnel](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/31/fso-chislennost-apparata-putin-ukaz/fso-chislennost-apparata-putin-ukaz-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Putin signed a decree expanding the FSO's central apparatus from 785 to 812 personnel. - This is the fourth expansion of the staff since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. - Over four years, the number of FSO employees has grown by nearly 100. - Before 2022, the FSO's central apparatus had not been expanded for almost 13 years. Vladimir Putin signed a decree that, for the fourth time since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, expands the staff of the central apparatus of the Federal Protective Service (FSO). According to the document, the maximum number of employees of the FSO's central apparatus is increased from 785 to 812. This is reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing The Moscow Times. ### Fourth expansion in four years As the publication notes, over four years the number of FSO employees involved in ensuring the security of the head of state has grown by nearly 100. If before the start of the full-scale invasion the service's central apparatus had not been expanded for almost 13 years, now its staff is being increased regularly — for the fourth time during this period. In the assessment of observers, such a pace reflects the restructuring of the protection system around the country's top leadership under wartime conditions. ### What exactly the decree changed The new document sets the maximum number of personnel in the FSO's central apparatus at 812, instead of the previous 785. Thus, under the latest decision the staff is increased by 27 positions, but taken together with the previous three expansions, the growth over four years approaches one hundred employees. The decree was signed personally by the president and enters into force in the established manner. ### Context: from 13 years of stability to regular changes Before 2022, the size of the FSO's central apparatus had remained unchanged for almost 13 years, which spoke to the stability of the structure. The series of adjustments that began after the invasion — the fourth expansion in four years — shows that the parameters of the security service for the top tier of power have become one of the tools for adapting to the new conditions. RBC-Ukraine notes that the decision to escalate the conflict is driven, among other things, by internal reasons, and that Putin's key objective remains the preservation of his own power and life. ### Link to the rhetoric on “ending the conflict” The expansion of the FSO apparatus is taking place against a backdrop of contradictory signals in the diplomatic arena. Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that Putin told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia was allegedly moving along the path of ending the “Ukrainian conflict,” while Modi, in his conversation with Putin, emphasized that the world must finally choose to end the war. The parallel strengthening of security structures clearly shows the gap between public rhetoric and the actual personnel decisions within the country. ### Wording limitations: the FSO apparatus and personal security It is important to note a nuance: the official document refers to the expansion of precisely the FSO's central apparatus, not to the number of the president's personal security detail alone. Some Russian and Ukrainian media outlets (including Korrespondent and RBC-Ukraine) reduce this in their headlines to “Putin's bodyguard staff,” which oversimplifies the essence of the document. Nevertheless, it is precisely the FSO's central apparatus that ensures the direct security of the head of state, so the growth of its staff is logically interpreted as a strengthening of protection. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [More than 800 security service officers now guard Putin](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/putina-ohoronyayut-vzhe-ponad-800-spetssluzhbistiv-1788205754.html) - Подтверждает расширение штата и рост численности до более 800 человек, ссылается на The Moscow Times. - [Putin signed a decree increasing the staff size of the FSO's central apparatus](https://www.rosbalt.ru/news/2026-08-31/putin-podpisal-ukaz-ob-uvelichenii-chislennosti-shtata-tsentralnogo-apparata-fso-5671637) - Подтверждает факт подписания указа об увеличении численности центрального аппарата ФСО. - [Putin, by his decree, increased the number of personnel in the FSO's central apparatus](https://nsn.fm/policy/putin-svoim-ukazom-uvelichil-chislennost-tsentralnogo-apparata-fso) - Подтверждает увеличение численности центрального аппарата ФСО указом президента. - [Putin increased the staff of his bodyguards to 800](https://korrespondent.net/world/russia/4907840-putyn-uvelychyl-shtat-svoykh-okhrannykov-do-800-chelovek) - Подтверждает рост штата до 800 человек; в заголовке использует упрощённую формулировку «охранники». ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: By how many personnel was the FSO's central apparatus increased under the latest decree? **A:** From 785 to 812, that is, by 27 positions. Taken together with the previous expansions, the growth over four years amounted to nearly 100 personnel. ### Q: How many times has the FSO's central apparatus been expanded since the start of the invasion? **A:** For the fourth time. Before 2022, the staff had not been increased for almost 13 years. ### Q: How is the FSO expansion related to the rhetoric on ending the conflict? **A:** The strengthening of security structures is proceeding in parallel with Putin's statements about “ending the conflict” and Modi's words on the need to end the war, which underscores the gap between public rhetoric and personnel decisions.