Vladimir Putin's Secret Service agents refuse to work in occupied Ukraine in major snub

Russian President Vladimir Putin offers secret service agents six to eight times the normal salary, but they still refuse to work in occupied Ukraine

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Vladimir Putin's Secret Service agents refuse to work in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine in major Kremlin snub.

Even salaries six to eight times higher than normal levels fail to convince counterintelligence agents to go to invaded areas.

Putin urgently needs regular and military intelligence agents to enforce his power in the two "people's republics" of eastern Ukraine, Donetsk and Lugansk, but also in the regions of Kherson, Zaporozhzhia and Kharkiv.

But FSB agents eschew such assignments, resorting to obtaining medical certificates from treating physicians for themselves or their family members, allowing them to stay at home, says independent media "We Can Explain".

Putin's "siloviki" secret service chiefs are even trying to win back retired or fired agents for roles in war zones.

FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov (right) with President Vladimir Putin (

Picture:

Uznayvse.ru / east2west news)

But there is little or no interest, an FSB source told the Telegram channel.

The source said, "We called 200 [retired] people and only three said they would think about it.

"This despite promises of huge payouts and benefits."

Officers were offered around £5,000 a month to serve in occupied areas, it is claimed.

This is up to eight times their normal salary, and far more than payments to soldiers fighting in the war.