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Bodyguard Hire in Moscow

Rosguard-licensed close protection officers in Moscow. Specialist CPO cover for principals with specific operational requirements in a high-complexity security environment.

Moscow is Russia’s capital and largest city, and a significant close protection operating environment. The FCDO advises against all travel to Russia as of its current 2024 travel advice, reflecting the material change in the security environment since February 2022. This page is provided for principals with specific operational requirements who need a structured understanding of the regulatory and operational framework for close protection in Moscow; it is not a recommendation to travel. The Russian private security industry is regulated under Federal Law No. 2487-1 (1992, as amended) with Rosguard (Rosgvardia) as the licensing authority for both companies and individual personnel.

The Russian private security licensing framework

Federal Law No. 2487-1 (1992, as amended) governs private security and detective activities in Russia. The 2016 establishment of Rosguard (National Guard of Russia, Rosgvardia) transferred the primary licensing function for private security companies from the MVD, and Rosguard now issues the Federal Guard Licence required for company operations. Individual personnel hold охранника удостоверение (guard certificates) at grades 4, 5, or 6, with grade 6 covering armed operations under specific authorisation. Operating within this framework requires familiarity with Rosguard’s regional administration processes and the documentation requirements for foreign-linked operations.

The Moscow threat environment for CPO engagement

The combination of the FCDO against-all-travel advisory, the conflict context from February 2022 onwards, the documented intelligence service activity around foreign business operations, and the pre-existing corporate security risks of organised crime and business dispute escalation define Moscow as a high-complexity close protection environment. Principals with genuine operational requirements in Moscow require specialist security advisers with current, specific Russia expertise, not a standard corporate CPO engagement framework.

For complementary services in Moscow, see our Moscow city page and security drivers in Moscow.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. The FCDO advises against all travel to Russia as of its current travel advice (2024 onwards). The advisory cites the conflict context following February 2022, the risk of arbitrary detention of British nationals, restricted consular assistance, and the closure of airspace to many Western carriers. The FCDO advisory applies to all of Russia, including Moscow. Principals considering travel to Moscow for specific operational reasons should treat the FCDO advisory as the primary planning input, obtain specialist security advice for their specific circumstances, and ensure they have obtained independent legal advice on the implications of travel under current sanctions and regulatory frameworks.

Under Federal Law No. 2487-1 (1992, as amended), private security companies in Russia must hold a Federal Guard Licence issued by Rosguard (Rosgvardia, the National Guard of Russia), following the 2016 transfer of private security licensing from the MVD to Rosguard. Individual guards hold охранника удостоверение (guard certificate) at grades 4, 5, or 6, with grade 6 covering armed operations under specific authorisation. Company licensing and personnel certification are administered through Rosguard’s regional departments.

Prior to February 2022, the principal security risks for corporate principals in Moscow included organised crime targeting of commercial operations (historically the krysha protection system affecting certain business sectors), business dispute-related violence (contract disputes in Russia have a documented history of escalating to physical threat), and systematic FSB and intelligence service activity around foreign business operations, including surveillance and recruitment approaches targeting foreign executives. Western companies with Moscow operations routinely engaged CPO cover for senior visiting executives as a baseline measure, not an exceptional one.

Since February 2022, additional considerations for any travel to Moscow include: the risk of arbitrary detention of Western nationals; significantly restricted or absent consular assistance for British and many other Western citizens; the closure of EU, UK, and US airspace to Russian carriers and of Russian airspace to many Western carriers (requiring routing through third countries); the application of international sanctions and domestic Russian counter-measures that may affect financial transactions and business activities; and an intelligence service environment that is, by multiple government assessments, materially more adversarial toward Western nationals than the pre-2022 baseline. These are not routine business travel considerations.
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