SVR stands for Sluzhba Vneshney Razvedki (Служба внешней разведки), and is Russian for "Foreign Intelligence Service". It is Russia's primary external intelligence agency.

The SVR evolved from the KGB after the collapse of the Soviet Union. In October of 1991, the Centralnaya Sluzhbza Razvedki (or CSR, the Central Intelligence Service) took over the intelligence gathering and analysis duties of the KGB's First Chief Directorate. In December of that year, the former chief of the KGB First Chief Directorate, Yevgeni Primakov, was appointed head of the organisation, which was then renamed SVR.

The SVR performs offensive intelligence gathering operations abroad and also enters into anti-terrorist cooperation and intelligence-sharing arrangements with foreign intelligence agencies.

See also

• KGB
• FSB
• GRU
• Federal Protective Service
• OSNAZ

External links

• Служба внешней разведки Российской Федерации, official homepage in Russian

Soviet and Russian intelligence agencies | Government of Russia

Sluschba Wneschnei Raswedki | סו"ר | Sloezjba Vnesjnej Razvedki | ロシア対外情報庁 | Służba Wywiadu Zagranicznego Rosji | Служба внешней разведки России