For information on nuclear
agencies, see the Federal Atomic Energy Agency and
Federal Service for Environmental, Technological
and Nuclear Oversight files.
Only ministries with a direct or indirect relationship to nuclear developments
are listed in this file. It is not intended to be a comprehensive reference
guide to the composition of the Russian government.
Prime Minister: Mikhail Fradkov
Deputy Prime Minister: Aleksandr Zhukov
Government Staff Head: Dmitriy Kozak
The Ministry of Defense carries out state policy concerning military defense
of the Russian Federation and protects its territorial integrity. It also
coordinates other federal bodies' activity in these areas. It is responsible
for ensuring the preparedness of the Russian Federation armed forces to prevent
and respond to threats to the country, as well as to implement tasks in
accordance with international agreements to which the Russian Federation is
party. The ministry is also responsible for managing financial and material
resources for the armed forces and other troops, including border guards,
railroad security, civil defense and other domestic military forces; for the
foreign intelligence service and federal security services. The Ministry of
Defense
also works to improve the legislative base of the armed forces' activities and
to improve the image and authority of the armed forces.
The main functions of the Ministry of Defense include
participating in military policy development and implementation; overseeing
military construction projects and defense-oriented research; producing,
purchasing, and maintaining military equipment and technology; organizing state
orders for nuclear armaments and state monitoring of nuclear and radiation
security throughout the entire life cycle of nuclear weapons and military
nuclear energy installations, from development through storage and disposal.[1]
The Russian government reforms of 2004 included the amendment
of the Russian defense law, removing the General Staff role in the supervision
of the armed forces, and giving the Minister of Defense operational command over
the military.[2] Instead, the General Staff is expected to concentrate on
long-range planning and overall strategy. As of 23 July 2004, the administrative
reform of the Defense Ministry lay ahead. The structure of the Defense Ministry
and General Staff will have to be changed to conform to the new law On Defense.
The General Staff is likely to lose structures related to combat training,
military education, and troop development.[3] [For more information on the 2004
reforms of the Russian government, see Cristina Chuen, "The
2004 Russian Government Reforms," CNS Research Story,
http://cns.miis.edu/pubs/week/040713.htm.]
http://www.mil.ru (in Russian)
Russian Federation President
Main Directorate for Educational Work
Main Directorate for International Military Cooperation
Main Directorate for Nuclear Weapons (12th Main Directorate)
The Main Directorate for Nuclear Weapons is responsible for nuclear warheads
withdrawn from active service. It also has responsibility for the development,
testing, storage, and delivery of nuclear weapons to the various branches
of the Russian military.
Main Personnel Directorate
Military-Technical Cooperation Service
The Commission on Military and
Technical Cooperation with Foreign States was transformed into the
Military-Technical Cooperation Service on 9 March 2004.[1] The committee was
originally created by Presidential Edict No. 1953 on 1 December 2000. The committee's responsibilities included
cooperating with other government agencies to develop policies to improve
Russia's military-political position in various areas of the world,
ensuring military-technical cooperation with other countries in accordance
with guidelines set forth by the president to further state
interests, and preserving the state monopoly in the area of military-technical
cooperation.[2,3] Since its creation, the committee has been active in promoting
Russian arms sales abroad, organizing arms expositions, and other related
activities.[4,5]
Technical and Export Controls Service
On 9 March 2004, the
Technical and Export Controls Service was established by presidential decree.
According to the decree, the export control responsibilities of the
Ministry of
Economic Development and Trade were to be transferred to the new service.
However, in accordance with a presidential edict of 5 May 2004, the
list of dual-use commodities and technologies that can be used to produce
weapons and military equipment and are subject to export control is updated by
the
Federal Customs Service in coordination with the Ministry
of Economic Development and Trade.[2]
Edict No. 1085, which approved the
Statute of the Federal Technical
and Export Control Service, was signed on
16 August 2004. For information on
this edict, and the responsibilities of the Technical and Export Controls
Service, please see 8/16/2004: Russia
Creates New Licensing Agency.
Department for Radiation, Chemical, and Biological
Defense
4th Central Scientific Research Institute (TsNII)
of the Ministry of Defense
The 4th TsNII is involved in developing nuclear weapon use plans.
Main Organization and Mobilization Directorate of the General Staff
National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center
Under a September 1997 order issued by Defense Minister
Igor Sergeyev, the National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center has overall
responsibility
for monitoring implementation of and compliance with international arms
control agreements. The center sends inspection teams to other countries
under agreements like the INF treaty, the START I treaty, and the Conventional
Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty. The same order made the center subordinate
to the General Staff. It had previously been part of the Main Directorate
for International Military Cooperation.
Nuclear Safety Inspectorate for Nuclear Installations
The Space Forces came into being on 1 June 2001 upon
the integration of the Missile-Space Defense Forces and the Military Space Troops, which
had
been part of the Strategic Rocket Forces since 1997, into a separate
organization directly subordinate to the General Staff. The Space Forces control
Russia's missile early warning, missile defense, space object tracking, and military satellite launch
and flight control assets.
Under a July 1997 presidential decree on military reform, as of 1 January
1999 the Air Force and the Air Defense Troops will be merged into a single
service with the name Air Force.
Under a July 1997 presidential decree on military reform, the Air Defense
Troops will be merged into the Air Force as of 1 January 1999.
President Putin's
appointment of Colonel General Nikolay Kormiltsev as Ground Forces
Commander-In-Chief on 28 March 2001 accompanied other shifts in Defense
Ministry and Security Council positions.[1] Under the provisions of a July 1997 presidential decree on military reform, the post of ground forces
commander had been left vacant and its functions transferred to the commanders
of individual military districts.[2,3,4]
The Russian Navy consists of four fleets, the Baltic,
Northern,
Pacific, and Black Sea Fleets,
and the Caspian Sea Flotilla.
Main Staff of the Russian Navy
Radiological, Chemical, and Biological
Protection Service
Northern Fleet Radiological, Chemical, and Biological Protection Service
Pacific Fleet Radiological, Chemical, and Biological Protection Service
On 1 June 2001 the status of the SRF was reduced from a branch of service to
a separate command. For archived SRF
developments, see the SRF and ICBM
General Developments Archive.
The Ministry of CIS Affairs was abolished on 17 May
2000.[1] Its functions were given to the Ministry of Economic Development
and Trade and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.[2]
The Ministry of Civil Defense Affairs,
Emergencies, and Liquidation of Consequences of Natural Disasters carries out state policy concerning civil
defense, protection of the population and territories from natural and
technological disasters, and fire safety. It also coordinates the activity of other federal
bodies in these areas. It is responsible for implementing a single
state policy governing these areas and for overseeing organizational measures to
respond to situations requiring rapid humanitarian responses within and outside
of Russia's borders. The ministry provides security measures in such situations,
and also collects and analyzes information necessary to its provision of the
functions stated above.
http://www.mchs.gov.ru (in
Russian)
Russian Federation President
The Ministry of Construction was transformed into the State Committee for
Housing and Construction Policy in the March 1997 cabinet reorganization.
In 2004, the Construction, Housing and Municipal
Services Agency was subordinated to the Ministry of Industry and
Energy.
The Ministry of Defense Industry was abolished and its functions absorbed
by the Ministry of the Economy as a result of the March 1997 cabinet reorganization.
It had been created in September 1996 by presidential decree on the basis
of the former State Committee for Defense Industries (Goskomoboronprom).
Goskomoboronprom was formed by a 12 September 1992 law reorganizing the
Russian Federation Committee for the Defense Sectors of Industry.
The
Ministry of Economic Development and Trade was
created by President Putin on 17 May 2000. It is tasked with infrastructure
development, economic forecasting, market reforms, and the coordination
of domestic and international trade. The Ministry of the Economy, the Ministry
of Trade and some functions of the Federal Currency and Export Control
Service (VEK) were absorbed by this ministry.[1,2,3] For more information, please see the entry in the
Export
Control Administrative Bodies section.
http://www.economy.gov.ru
(in Russian)
Prime Minister
DEPARTMENT OF EXPORT CONTROL (DEK)
On 9 March 2004, a presidential decree
was issued that transferred the responsibilities of the
Department of Export Control of the Ministry of Economic Development
and Trade to a new
Technical and Export Controls Service to be established
under the Ministry of Defense.[1] The
Ministry of Economic Development Export
Control Department had been the lead export control agency in Russia. It reviewed and
issued all licenses for the export of dual-use and nuclear materials, drafted
export control lists and other regulatory documents, and provided information on
export control procedures to exporters.[2]
VEK was abolished and its functions given to both
the Ministry of Finance and the then new Ministry for Economic Development and
Trade on 17 May 2000.[1,2] VEK, and specifically the Department of Export
Controls within VEK, was the working group or permanent secretariat for
Eksportkontrol. It was given this role in August 1996, in accordance with
Government Resolution No. 1005. The Department of Export Controls regularly
prepared drafts of export control decrees, directives, and resolutions for
the President and the Cabinet of Ministers, and was the principal entity
responsible for the development of dual-use export control lists. VEK also
analyzed and made recommendations on nuclear and nuclear dual-use export
applications for Eksportkontrol. Representatives from VEK also participated
in negotiations and consultations on export control issues with foreign
governments and relevant multilateral control regimes.[3]
The presidential decree of 9 March 2004
transformed the State Customs Committee into the Federal Customs Service, and
transferred the committee's responsibilities for adopting regulatory and
legislative acts for activities within its purview to the Ministry of Economic
Development and Trade.[1] On 7 July 2004 Minister of Economic Development and
Trade German Gref charged the new service with preparing a restructuring plan,
in accordance with which the State Customs Committee would become the Customs
Service.[2]
On 17 May 2000, President Putin abolished the Ministry
of the Economy, giving its functions to the new Ministry for Economic Development
and Trade and the Ministry for Industry, Science and Technologies.[1] In
an earlier cabinet reorganization in March 1997, the Ministry of the Economy
absorbed the functions of the former ministries of industry and defense
industry and gained responsibility for the storage of fresh fuel for nuclear
submarines under construction.[2,3,4] Under the terms of a 30 April 1998
presidential decree, some functions of the Ministry of the Economy were
transferred to the short-lived Ministry of Industry and Trade.[5]
The Ministry of Energy became the
Ministry of Industry and Energy
by the presidential decree of 9 March 2004.[1] The Ministry of Energy was known as the Ministry of Fuel and Energy
until 17 May 2000.[2]
On 17 May 2000 the Ministry of Finance absorbed some
of the functions of the Federal Currency and Export Control Service (VEK).
VEK's other responsibilities were assigned to the new Ministry of Economic
Development and Trade.
http://www.minfin.ru (in
Russian)
Prime Minister
For information on the role of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs in export control policy coordination, please see the entry in
the Export Controls Administrative
Bodies section. On 17 May 2000, the Ministry took over part of the
functions of the State Environmental Protection Committee.
http://www.mid.ru
Russian Federation President
Strategic Offensive Arms and Missile Defense Sector
IAEA and
Nuclear Security Sector
Conventional Arms and Confidence-Building
Measures Sector
Military-Technical Cooperation Sector
Export
Control Policy Sector
Science and Technology Sector
This sector also deals with space and rocket launchers.
Multilateral Disarmament, Chemical Weapons Convention, and Biological
Weapons Convention Sector
Secretariat of the Russian Federal Governmental Commission for
Cooperation with the European Union
NATO, CEAP, WEU and Military and
Political issues Sector
Council of Europe Sector
European
Union Sector
Regional Cooperation and General Problems Sector
OSCE
Sector
According to a presidential decree issued on 23 September 1998, the functions
of the former Ministry of Foreign Relations and Trade were transferred
to the newly created Ministry of Trade.[2] Previously,
according to a presidential decree issued on 30 April
1998, the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations and Trade was abolished,
and its functions transferred to the newly created Ministry
of Industry and Trade.[1]
http://www.minprom.gov.ru
(in Russian)
Prime Minister
Federal Industry Agency (also known as Rosprom)
The Industry Agency has been designated the government body in charge of
fulfilling Russia's obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention and the
Biological Weapons Convention. Until the Russian government enacts legislation
specifying the organizations under its purview, the Industry Agency has also
been given authority over all organizations formerly under the
Munitions,
Conventional Weapons, Control Systems,
Shipbuilding, and
Space Agencies.
http://www.rosprom.gov.ru
(in Russian)
The functions of the Ministry of
Industry and Trade, originally established by presidential decree on 30 April
1998, were absorbed by the Ministry of Trade, Ministry of the Economy, and
Ministry of Industry and Energy.
The Ministry of Industry, Science, and Technologies
has been superceded by the Ministry of Industry and Energy. The
ministry was formed by Presidential decree on 17 May 2000, inheriting the
functions of the former Ministry of Science and Technology, and
part of the functions of the former ministries of the Economy and of Trade.[1] The ministry controlled arms exports.
http://eng.mvdrf.ru
Russian Federation President
Main Directorate for Combatting Organized Crime
http://www.minjust.ru (in
Russian)
Russian Federation President
The Federal Agency for the Legal Protection of Military,
Special, and Dual-Use Intellectual Property was created by resolution No.
1132 of 29 September 1998 as a subdivision of the Ministry of Justice.
Its tasks include defending the rights of the defense industry and recovering
losses from the illegal production of Russian weapons abroad.
By presidential decree the State
Protection Service was transformed into the Federal Protection Service, and subordinated to
the Ministry of Justice, on 9 March 2004.[1]
The State Protection Service had been established by former President Yeltsin
on 2 July 1996 by merging the Federal Protection Service (FSO) and the Presidential
Security Service (SBP).[2] In 2003, the
FSO inherited responsibility for ensuring the exploitation, security,
development and perfection of special information systems for state agencies
from the disbanded Federal Agency for Governmental Communications and
Information (FAPSI). These duties are carried out by the FSO's Service for Special
Communications and Information.[3] FAPSI was originally created out of the
Russian secret service's technical services, after the disbanding of the KGB.[4]
By presidential decree, the Federal
Security Service was subordinated to the Ministry
of Justice on 9 March 2004.[1] The service was formerly known as the Federal Counterintelligence
Service (FSK). A bill calling for the reorganization, expansion and renaming
of FSK passed both houses of Russian parliament and was signed into law
on 5 April 1995 by Boris Yeltsin. In addition to domestic counterintelligence
duties, the Federal Security Service (FSB) conducts both domestic
and foreign intelligence operations and fights organized crime. The FSB
has the power to enter any home or business without a search warrant if
there is sufficient reason to believe that "a crime has been, or is being,
committed there." Article 24 of the law exempts the organization from oversight
by Russia’s Public Prosecutor.[2]
The primary role of the FSB in the nonproliferation sphere is to collect
information to prevent the illegal export of controlled materials. The FSB
participates in the development of Russia's export control strategy and examines
drafts of international agreements related to the transfer of dual-use and
nuclear commodities and technologies.[3]
http://www.fsb.ru (in Russian)
Counterintelligence Department (First Department)
Directorate for the Counterintelligence Support
of Strategic Facilities
Constitutional Security and Anti-Terrorism Department
(Second Department)
Antiterrorism and Anti-Extremism Directorate
Operational-Investigation Directorate
This directorate is in charge of combating open terrorism.
Operational-Organizational Directorate
Economic Security Department (Fourth Department)
Analysis, Forecasting, and Strategic Planning
Department (Fifth Department)
Military Counterintelligence Directorate (Third
Directorate)
By presidential decree, the Foreign
Intelligence Service was subordinated to the
Ministry of Justice on 9 March 2004.[1] The primary role of the SVR in the
nonproliferation sphere is to
prevent the illegal export of controlled materials. A special department in the SVR
is responsible for nonproliferation and export control issues. This department provides
relevant intelligence information about prospective end-users to the Federal Atomic Energy Agency and the
Ministry of Defense Technical and Export
Controls Service.
The SVR also works with international
counterparts to curtail illicit nuclear trade.[2,3]
http://svr.gov.ru (in Russian)
This Ministry was created in August 1996 in place of the Ministry on Natural Resources
and Protecting the Environment. A separate state committee was established to oversee
environmental issues.
http://www.mnr.gov.ru (in
Russian)
Prime Minister
Geologorazvedka
Geologorazvedka is a state enterprise within the
Ministry of Natural Resources and its main agency dealing with uranium.
Radiation Safety Section
On 9 March 2004, the
Ministry of Railways was abolished.
In its place, the
Rail
Transport Agency was created under the Ministry of
Transport.[1] Among other responsibilities, the agency's Department of Special Cargo
supervises transportation of fresh and spent nuclear fuel.[2]
On 17 May 2000, President Putin abolished the Ministry
of the Trade, giving its functions to the new Ministry for Economic Development
and Trade and the Ministry for Industry, Science and Technologies.[1] Established
by presidential decree on 22 September 1998, this ministry assumed the
functions of the former Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations
and Trade, which had earlier been transferred to the short-lived Ministry
of Industry and Trade (April-September 1998). It plays a role in export
control policy as a result of its responsibility for foreign trade.[2]
In September 1999 it assumed responsibility for the regulation of weapons
exports, including the power to distribute foreign weapons contracts among
weapons exporters, as well as the authority to recommend promotions and
demotions of the heads of weapon-exporting companies.[3]
http://www.mintrans.ru (in
Russian)
Prime Minister
Transport Oversight Agency
Air Transport Agency
Highways Agency
Rail Transport Agency
Maritime and River Transport Agency
Geodesy and Cartography Agency
The former Ministry of Construction was transformed into the State Committee
for Housing and Construction Policy as part of the March 1997 cabinet reorganization.
Page last updated 23 January 2006
For major developments, see the
General Nuclear Weapons Developments file.
Comments or questions? E-mail Cristina Chuen: cristina.chuenATmiis.edu.
This material is produced independently for NTI
by the Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the
Monterey Institute of International Studies and
does not necessarily reflect the opinions of and has
not been independently verified by NTI or its directors, officers,
employees, agents. Copyright © 2003 by MIIS.
HOME | CONTACT US | SITE MAP
Nuclear Related Government Agencies