From September 1, 2025, a law came into effect in Russia granting the FSB control over international scientific cooperation. All civilian research, including projects involving foreign scientists or organizations, must now be approved by the security service.
Concern is growing within the Russian scientific community: any publication in a foreign journal could be interpreted as “transferring information to a foreign state.” Scientists report rising self-censorship and paranoia in international contacts due to unclear rules. The law effectively turns Russian science into another area under total FSB control.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Guard, Ministry of Emergency Situations, and the Federal Medical-Biological Agency succeeded in excluding their projects from the centralized database under FSB oversight. As a result, only civilian research—by linguists, economists, medical scientists, and other scholars—falls under FSB supervision.
Previously, the FSB received permission to create its own detention centers for suspects awaiting trial, significantly increasing the agency’s autonomy in investigations related to national security, espionage, or terrorism, and potentially enabling political repression.
Additionally, as of recently, foreign ships may enter Russian ports only with FSB approval.
Overall, in 2025 the FSB is focusing on expanding internal control (repression, imprisonment) and creating threats for other countries, including so-called “friendly” nations, through sabotage, disinformation, and other means.
