Russian security services exposed the activity of 46 foreign spy service officers and 258 agents last year, President Vladimir Putin said Monday as he addressed a board meeting of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB).

Russian security services exposed the activity of 46 foreign spy service officers and 258 agents last year, President Vladimir Putin said Monday as he addressed a board meeting of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB).

“Counterintelligence is a traditional sphere of activity for the FSB, and that’s really a sector with intensive field operations,” Putin said according to ITAR-TAS.

Putin stated that underground terrorist networks still have some chances to commit terrorist attacks in Russia and will try to stage them in different Russian regions other than the North Caucasus.

“The situation still remains quite difficult, as the terrorist underworld still has some opportunities to commit terrorist attacks against civilians despite serious losses,” the president said, recalling the suicide bombings in the Russian southern city of Volgograd at the end of the previous year.

“Extremist, radical groupings try to intensify their activity not only in the North Caucasus, but also shift it to other regions of our country - Volga River region, Central Russia, and try to instigate interethnic and religious conflicts, and wage aggressive propaganda among young people,” Putin said, adding that, moreover, terrorists “use the most advanced information means, technologies, including the Internet and social networks."

Putin also concerned that citizens of CIS states and Russia recruited by terrorists may be sent against Russia.

“The fact that several citizens of Russia and CIS states who are recruited by terrorists and radicals and who are participating in hostilities in Afghanistan, Syria and other regions of the world and are passing terrorist training and ideological brainwashing there cause serious concerns.”

“There are all reasons to believe that then they may be dispatched against Russia and our neighbors in the CIS,” he said, adding that “We should be prepared for this and should have the whole arsenal of preventive measures.