On May 3, 2017, the Russian Internal Affairs Ministry (MVD) announced that the number of its officers assigned abroad will be increased from 41 to 100 representatives. These are not traditional SVR rezidenturas, intelligence officers involved in espionage at Russian embassies, but a type of MVD rezidentura. A draft of the Decree of Russian President Putin detailed the future changes. Each of the representative offices will include a head, his deputies and officer-specialists. In addition, MVD officers will work within Russian diplomatic agencies abroad, as well as in the Russian missions to international organizations. Changes are being made to increase the effectiveness of interaction between Russia’s MVD “with the competent authorities of foreign states and international organizations.”
Currently, MVD representatives are present at Russian embassies in Austria, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Afghanistan, South Africa, Belarus, Germany, Israel, Iran, Spain, Kazakhstan, Cyprus, Kirghizia, China, Nicaragua, South Ossetia, Pakistan, Palestinian National Autonomy, Peru, USA, Tajikistan, Turkey, Finland, France and Switzerland. Also in Latvia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Moldova, Armenia and some other countries.