Meet The KGB Ghosts: Why Only These Seven Men Are Allowed Near Putin—And How They Shape Global Conflict | World News

As Russian President Vladimir Putin prepares for his latest move in India, attention is once again turning to the shady and highly privileged club of loyalists surrounding him. This inner circle of a small group of men called “Siloviki” are the only people deemed trustworthy enough to stand by the Russian president and play a decisive role in most important decisions.

The term siloviki is a direct translation of “men of power” or “security guards”. It usually refers to senior officials who have previous experience in security organizations such as the KGB and are well-versed in matters related to national security and defence.

Structure of Putin Elite

According to political analyst Tatyana Stanovaya, President Putin’s inner elite is broadly divided into two groups:

technocrats: These people usually hold government positions but do not have any authority in security matters.

Siloviki: This group dominates almost every aspect of the agenda, especially issues related to Putin’s personal security and national defense.

Critics claim that the Siloviki are primarily responsible for shaping Putin’s hard-line policies towards Ukraine and other European countries, and their views are said to have significantly influenced almost all of the Kremlin’s major decisions in recent years.

Notable Members of Siloviki

The following names are considered the most powerful and reliable members of Putin’s elite security circle:

1. Nikolai Patrushev (Chief of the Security Council)

Location: Chairman of the Russian Security Council and considered the most powerful Silovik.

Background: A professional intelligence officer who has known Putin since the 1970s, when they both worked for the KGB in Leningrad. He previously headed the FSB (Russia’s domestic intelligence agency).

To influence: Patrushev is known for his deeply anti-Western, conspiracy theory views. He once claimed that the United States wanted Russia to cease to exist as a country. He is believed to have played a key role in the attempted coup in Montenegro in 2016 to prevent the country from joining NATO.

2. Sergei Naryshkin, Chief of Foreign Intelligence

Role: Head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) and a former KGB officer.

Background: Putin, two men in St. He has known him since the 1990s, when he worked together at the St. Petersburg mayoralty.

To influence: He is considered a loyal and effective ruler and actively promotes a positive vision of Russian history, one of Putin’s most valuable projects. He is sometimes put forward as a potential successor to the President.

3. Alexander Bortnikov: FSB Director

The current Director of the FSB is the successor to the KGB. He controls a vast security apparatus responsible for everything from counterterrorism to border security and electronic surveillance.

Background: He also worked with Putin in the Leningrad KGB in the 1970s.

To influence: Although his personal influence is thought to be less than Patrushev or Naryshkin, he has a key role in maintaining Putin’s dominance over the country.

4. Sergey Shoigu, Minister of Defense

Role: Minister of Defense in charge of the modern-day Russian military and the GRU, an aggressive military intelligence agency.

Background: Unlike most Siloviki, he did not initially serve in the KGB or the army. His position makes him both a technocrat and a Silovik.

To influence: Frequently involved in important security decisions. He and Putin went on much-publicized hunting and shooting trips together in Siberia.

Experts noted that he was a strong supporter of national interests, but did not have the deep anti-Western sentiments of other Siloviki members.

5. Valery Gerasimov (Chief of the General Staff)

Role: Commander of the Land Forces and Chief of General Staff.

Background: Experienced military strategist and old-style Soviet general.

To influence: General Gerasimov was the architect of the Ukrainian invasion. He remains in his senior military post; This is an indication that President Putin rewards veterans’ loyalty more than results on the battlefield.

Unofficial Inner Circle

Beyond the official security apparatus, Putin is also influenced by a circle of unofficial confidants.

Yuri Kovalchuk: A Russian elite with deep personal and family ties to Putin, whose origins date back to Putin’s time as Deputy Mayor of Leningrad.

According to Mikhail Zygar, author of All the Kremlin’s Men, he is extremely influential and ideologically close to the President, although he has never served in the government.

Anton Vaino: Private Secretary of the Presidential Enforcement Office. He rarely appears in public, but is one of Putin’s most trusted figures as an effective administrator responsible for keeping the Kremlin administration in order and the bureaucracy in check.

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