The Moscow House In Minsk Is Overseen By An Officer From The FSB's Fifth Directorate
- 29.10.2026, 20:23
This agency is responsible for recruiting and funding pro-Kremlin activists abroad.
Sergei Makshantsev, who is involved in working with pro-Russian organizations in Belarus, was identified by sources "Bureau" have identified as an employee of the FSB’s Fifth Directorate. Among other things, this service is involved in recruiting and financing pro-Kremlin activists abroad.
The Moscow House in Minsk is overseen by Sergei Makshantsev, an officer of the Russian intelligence service. Journalists from “The Bureau” reached this conclusion based on information from sources, leaks, and publicly available data.
The Moscow House organizes conferences and other events in Belarus for Russian “compatriots.”
It serves as a platform for promoting the ideas of the “Russian World” and as a tool of Kremlin influence.
The organization reports to the Moscow House of Compatriots—an institution created by the Moscow government to work with the Russian-speaking diaspora abroad. Makshtantsev has served as deputy director there since 2022.
What Links Makshantsev to the FSB
Two independent sources within a European intelligence service identified Makshantsev as an officer of the FSB’s Fifth Directorate, according to “Bureau.”
Journalists also discovered that he traveled abroad with Maksim Eremine, who is listed in The Insider’s databases as a career officer of that service.
Another connection was revealed in the leak: Makshantsev’s residential address is listed as a Moscow apartment registered to the FSB.
According to a report by the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service, the FSB uses the Moscow House of Compatriots as a cover for its employees. The document names Maksim Sapunov, who served as deputy director of this institution from 2013 to 2015. Makshantsev assumed that position in 2022.
Conferences in Minsk and Contacts with Pro-Russian Activists
According to flight records cited by “The Bureau,” following his appointment, Makshantsev visited Bishkek, Yerevan, Baku, and Minsk.
In September 2024, he participated in the conference “The Russian Diaspora: Realities and Prospects” at the House of Moscow in Minsk. In May 2026, he spoke there at the conference “Moscow and Compatriots: Work, Challenges, and Prospects.”
At that time, Makshantsev promised to continue supporting Russian “compatriots” abroad:
“First and foremost, I want to note that the Moscow government will continue to provide the maximum possible assistance to compatriots living abroad. And first and foremost to the countries of the near abroad—those who are closest to us both geographically and in many other respects.”
Sergei Lushch , head of the “Soyuz Movement” , also participated in the same event. Earlier, “The Bureau” reported that he receives Russian funds to support pro-Kremlin activists in Belarus.
The FSB’s Fifth Directorate is responsible for foreign intelligence, political analysis, and the identification, recruitment, and funding of pro-Kremlin activists abroad. As “The Bureau” notes, prior to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it was this very service that provided Vladimir Putin with information about the political situation in the country and prepared a pro-Russian fifth column there.