The head of the Scientific and Technical Service (NTS) of the FSB, Colonel-General Eduard Chernovoltsev, was dismissed. Subordinate to General Chernovoltsev were the 8th FSB Center (information protection), the FSB Special Equipment Center and the FSB Special Communications Directorate. In addition, Chernovoltsev oversaw the NII-2 FSB, where all kinds of poisons are developed in a secret laboratory, and employees of the institute were directly involved in the poisoning of the founder of the FBK Alexei Navalny, writer Dmitry Bykov and public figure Vladimir Kara-Murza.
According to the official version, Chernovoltsev was sent into retirement upon reaching retirement age, although a Chekist of this level is usually allowed to serve up to 70 years.
Meanwhile, a source in the FSB told The Insider that the Kremlin was extremely dissatisfied with the frequent leaks of information databases, which allowed journalists to publish their investigations, including those about Putin’s associates: leak channels. But in our leaky system, this is almost impossible.” Another employee from the NTS FSB reported that Chernovoltsev, who lived for a long time in Kyiv, “greatly regretted the start of the military operation in Ukraine and, in the company of his friends, said more than once that everything had gone too far.”
It is worth recalling that Chernovoltsev was twice caught by traffic police inspectors when he was driving while intoxicated. The first time was in 2002, when he was still seconded to military unit 31568 in Reutov, Moscow Region. For the second time already in the rank of general of the FSB. He refused to undergo a medical examination – an administrative case was brought against him, which was considered in the Moscow Military Garrison Court. As a rule, in such cases, the judges make decisions in favor of the traffic police inspectors, however, the military judge Dmitry Kortovenkov dismissed the administrative case "due to the lack of an administrative offense."