Russia’s repeated denials that it was involved in the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko has done little to ease concerns that the Kremlin remains ready to use force abroad against its enemies.
This year the Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, passed laws allowing the Russian head of state to use special units to eliminate individuals regarded as a threat to Russian security wherever they are found.
Seventeen organisations have been named by Moscow as “terrorist” groups. The move was taken after four Russian diplomats were kidnapped and killed in Baghdad, provoking President Putin to ordered his security services to hunt down the killers and eliminate them.
Russia has always been able to send its armed forces abroad, including the notorious Soviet-era GRU, which dealt with all military intelligence. The new legislation would allow other branches of Russia’s security services to operate overseas, including Mr Putin’s own FSB (Federal Security Service), the successor to the KGB, which has taken the lead in counter-terrorism operations.
This month Mr Putin made it clear that Russia would not tolerate terrorist groups in Russia receiving support from abroad. In a speech at GRU headquarters he said that “decisive action must be taken to cut off channels of support and liquidate them”.