# Close Protection in Moscow

Canonical page: https://closeprotectionhire.com/cities/moscow/

Close protection and security services in Moscow, Russia. State detention risk, terrorism, and surveillance are the primary concerns for foreign corporate visitors in 2026.


## Threats

- **State Detention**: The FCDO explicitly warns that British nationals face an increased risk of detention in Russia. Russian authorities have detained foreign nationals as bargaining chips in diplomatic disputes. Activities carried out outside Russia may be cited as grounds for detention. This is distinct from conventional criminal risk and is the primary concern for Western business visitors.
- **Terrorism**: The March 2024 Crocus City Hall attack killed 145 people. IS claimed responsibility. The FCDO rates terrorist attacks in Russia as highly likely. Public gatherings, transport hubs, and entertainment venues are the primary target categories.
- **Surveillance**: Extensive state surveillance covers digital and physical environments. The FSB monitors electronic communications. Corporate travellers should treat all hotel rooms, vehicles, and meeting spaces as potentially surveilled.
- **Street Crime**: Street crime includes pickpocketing at tourist areas, drink spiking leading to robbery, and criminals posing as police officers. In cold weather, drink spiking can be life-threatening if the victim is left unconscious outside.

## Regulations

- **Licensing**: Private security activity in Russia is licensed by Rosgvardiya (the National Guard of Russia) under Federal Law No. 427-FZ of 30 November 2024 on Private Security Activity, in force since 1 September 2026. It replaced the private security sections of Law No. 2487-1 of 1992. Licences issued before 1 September 2026 remain valid, and new licences run for 5 years. Guards must be Russian citizens aged at least 18 (Article 11).
- **Firearms**: Federal Law No. 427-FZ of 30 November 2024 on Private Security Activity, in force since 1 September 2026, lets private guards use physical force, special means and service weapons within its limits (Article 21). The types of weapon are set by Government decree. Guards must be Russian citizens, so a foreign officer cannot be armed as a private guard.
- **Foreign operators**: Article 7(8) of Federal Law No. 427-FZ bars foreign citizens, foreign legal entities, stateless persons and organisations with such participants from founding or taking part in a private security organisation, except where an international treaty provides otherwise. Guards must be Russian citizens. Any protective work in Russia therefore runs through a Rosgvardiya-licensed Russian company. Take local legal advice, including on sanctions, before any engagement.

Sources, checked 2026-10-07:

- [Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Federal Law of 30 November 2024 No. 427-FZ on Private Security Activity, official text](https://rg.ru/documents/2024/12/04/chopi-dok.html)
- [Security Professional (spmag.ru), new private security law in force from 1 September 2026, Rosgvardiya licences (27 September 2026)](https://spmag.ru/news/vydannye-ranee-licenzii-chop-ostanutsya-bessrochnymi)
- [ConsultantPlus, Law No. 2487-1 of 11 March 1992, current text with the private security sections repealed](https://www.consultant.ru/document/cons_doc_LAW_385/)

## Zones

Lower-risk areas:

- Moscow City (International Business Centre): Modern financial district with professional security infrastructure and controlled access.
- Garden Ring international hotels: Major hotel chains maintain their own security; these are preferred accommodation for visiting executives.
- Arbat (daytime): Accessible central area, though standard awareness of pickpocketing applies.

Elevated-risk areas:

- Main railway stations (Kazansky, Kursky, Leningradsky): Higher pickpocketing and scam activity. Criminals posing as police officers operate here.
- Tourist areas late at night: Red Square, Arbat. Drink spiking incidents. Do not accept drinks from strangers.
- Outer suburbs: Reduced police visibility. Racial attacks possible against visitors of African or Asian descent.

## Emergency contacts

- Police: 102
- Ambulance: 103
- Fire: 101
- Universal Emergency: 112
- British Embassy Moscow: +7 495 956 7200
- Botkin City Clinical Hospital (state, 2nd Botkinsky proezd 5): +7 499 490 03 03 (source: Hospital own site botkinmoscow.ru, published contact block, fetched and verified 2026-09-02)
- European Medical Center (private, round the clock): +7 495 933 66 55 (source: emcmos.ru/contacts/, fetched and verified 2026-09-02)
- European Medical Center ambulance despatch: +7 495 933 66 45 (source: emcmos.ru/contacts/, the vyzvat skoruyu pomoshch (call an ambulance) line, fetched and verified 2026-09-02)

## Warnings

- The FCDO advises against ALL travel to Russia (entire country). This is the highest advisory level. Review the current FCDO advisory before any planned travel to Moscow.
- British nationals face an elevated and specific risk of detention. Russian authorities have detained foreign nationals as a tool of diplomatic pressure. Activities carried out in the UK or other countries may be cited as grounds for detention in Russia.
- Assume all electronic communications (phone, email, messaging apps) may be monitored. Use encrypted communications for sensitive discussions. Hotel rooms should be treated as potentially surveilled.
- Dual nationals and individuals with connections to sanctioned entities face additional risk. This includes those with family in Ukraine or prior employment with Western-sanctioned companies.
- There are no direct flights between the UK and Russia. Return routes are limited and may be disrupted further without notice due to the ongoing Ukraine conflict.

Moscow in 2026 presents a category of security challenge distinct from other P1 cities. The FCDO advises against all travel to Russia, citing not only terrorism and conflict, but an explicitly named risk that British nationals may be detained as a tool of diplomatic pressure. This separates Moscow from cities with conventional crime or terrorism profiles: the threat source includes the state itself.

## The 2024-2026 threat landscape

The March 2024 Crocus City Hall attack killed 145 people when IS-claimed gunmen opened fire at a packed concert venue near Moscow. It was the deadliest terror attack in Russia since Beslan. The FSB subsequently conducted raids and arrests, but the event confirmed that IS retains both the intent and the capability to conduct coordinated mass-casualty attacks on Russian soil.

Separately, the Ukraine conflict continues to produce security incidents within Russia. Drone attacks have struck civilian infrastructure and residential areas in Moscow and surrounding regions. The frequency and scale vary, but the baseline unpredictability remains a planning consideration for any corporate visitor.

For British nationals specifically, the most significant risk is not terrorism or street crime. It is state detention. The FCDO has documented cases where British nationals were arrested on charges that included activities carried out entirely outside Russia. This risk is not addressed by conventional security measures.

## Communications security

State surveillance in Russia is comprehensive and legal. The FSB has statutory authority to monitor electronic communications. Hotel rooms, meeting spaces, and vehicles should be treated as surveilled environments. Corporate travellers handling sensitive commercial information should operate on the assumption that unencrypted conversations in Moscow can be accessed by state intelligence services.

This does not make Moscow unworkable for business purposes. It means that communications protocols, device management, and document handling require the same discipline that applies in any environment where state intelligence interest in commercial discussions is a realistic possibility.

## The regulatory environment for security

Private security in Russia is regulated under Federal Law No. 427-FZ. Operators require a Rosgvardiya licence. Foreign security companies face significant restrictions: in practice, all security operations require Russian-licensed personnel. This remains the case despite sanctions, though the working environment for operators with Western business connections has become more complex.

We maintain a network of Russian-licensed operators who meet our vetting criteria. Service availability is subject to change as the regulatory and sanctions environment evolves. All assignments include a sanctions compliance review before engagement.

## Practical operations

Our [detailed risk assessment for Moscow](/risk-assessments/moscow/) covers current threat scoring, zone guidance, and operational protocols. The [FCDO Moscow travel safety guide](/guides/travel-safety-guide-moscow/) provides current advisory status and consular contact details.

For organisations with essential business in Russia: obtain legal counsel review of sanctions exposure before any commercial engagement; register with the British Embassy before departure; establish a clear communications and extraction protocol; and operate a device policy that treats Russian-operated networks as untrusted.

*Source: FCDO Russia travel advisory (April 2026). Crocus City Hall attack: Russian Investigative Committee confirmed casualty figures, March 2024. Rosgvardiya licensing requirements under Federal Law No. 427-FZ.*

## Frequently asked questions

### Can foreign companies still operate security in Moscow?

Russian-licensed operators meeting our vetting standards remain available. However, the FCDO advises against all travel to Russia and the UK government severely limits consular support. Any engagement of security services in Moscow should be accompanied by current legal advice on sanctions compliance and liability exposure.

### Is Russia safe for British nationals to travel to?

No. The FCDO advises against all travel to Russia (entire country). British nationals face an elevated and specific risk of detention, which the FCDO describes as Russian authorities using foreign nationals as a tool of diplomatic pressure. This is a different category of risk from conventional crime and requires legal preparation, not only security preparation.

### What were the Crocus City Hall attacks and what do they mean for corporate security?

In March 2024, IS-claimed gunmen attacked a concert venue in the Moscow suburb of Krasnogorsk, killing 145 people. It was the deadliest terrorist attack on Russian soil in twenty years. The event confirmed that IS retains the intent and capability to conduct mass-casualty attacks in Russia. For corporate visitors, it reinforces the need to treat large public venues, transport hubs, and entertainment facilities as elevated-risk environments.

### What is the detention risk for foreign nationals in Russia?

The FCDO explicitly states that British nationals face an increased risk of detention in Russia. Charges applied have included espionage, spreading false information about the armed forces, and discrediting the military. These have been applied to individuals whose relevant activities were conducted entirely outside Russia. There is no reliable legal mechanism to challenge detention from outside Russia, and UK consular support is severely limited.

### Should corporate visits to Moscow proceed in 2026?

For most corporate purposes, no. The combination of the FCDO against-all-travel advisory, active detention risk for British nationals, drone attack incidents near Moscow, no direct flights, severely limited UK consular support, and sanctions compliance exposure makes Moscow unsuitable for all but the most critical essential business. If your organisation has legal obligations requiring presence in Russia, this must be managed with specialist legal counsel and a clear risk assessment.