The Hidden Command Room
Few institutions reveal how Russia really works more clearly than the Security Council. This is not a talking shop or a symbolic committee. It is the room where Vladimir Putin sits with his most trusted lieutenants and decides how Russia will confront the West, fight in Ukraine, or escalate hybrid attacks against Europe.
Origins and Structure
The Security Council emerged in 1992 after the collapse of the Soviet Union. It replaced the Communist Party’s Politburo as the new mechanism for coordinating national security. The president chairs the body, a secretary manages its daily business, and permanent members form the council’s core. This design ensures that the Kremlin retains direct control over security and foreign policy.
Composition and Key Figures
Permanent members include the prime minister, the defence and foreign ministers, the FSB director, and other top officials. Putin’s closest allies dominate the council, many of them drawn from the KGB and military. Their positions inside the council show not only their official roles but also their loyalty and influence inside the Kremlin system.
Agenda and Functions
The council sets Russia’s national security agenda. It determines defence priorities, foreign policy strategies, and intelligence operations. It also oversees Russia’s information security doctrine, cyber policy, and counterterrorism measures. Every major decision on war or diplomacy passes through this forum.
Role in Hybrid War
The council coordinates more than conventional defence. It blends military planning with propaganda, cyber operations, and irregular tactics. This reflects Moscow’s belief that war extends into politics, economics, and information. Hybrid warfare strategies, from disinformation to energy leverage, often begin with decisions taken inside the Security Council.
Influence Beyond Borders
The Security Council’s influence stretches far beyond Moscow. When European states face Russian cyberattacks, covert operations, or disinformation campaigns, the decision often traces back to this group. The council’s secrecy and authority make it one of the most consequential institutions for Europe’s security.
The Kremlin’s Command Core
In practice, the Security Council acts as Putin’s command core. It fuses the power of ministries, intelligence agencies, and the military under the president’s direct control. For Europe, understanding the council is essential to understanding how the Kremlin wages war, negotiates diplomacy, and sustains its confrontation with the West.
