Vladimir Putin called for "traitors" to be hunted down in an address to the FSB domestic security agency in Moscow on Tuesday following his re-election as Russian president.
They should be identified and punished, Putin said, adopting a noticeably angry tone. "We will punish them without time limitation, wherever they may be." Russia would not forget these traitors who had committed crimes against the country, he said.
There have been repeated cases of Russians being murdered, some while abroad, or dying under unexplained circumstances.
In his remarks, Putin referred specifically to attacks mounted from Ukraine on the Belgorod region along the border, where there have recently been civilian casualties. Intensive attacks took place in the region during the elections between Friday and Sunday.
Putin referred to terrorism aimed at disrupting the vote. He accused "sabotage and terrorist groups" acting alongside Ukrainian forces, mercenaries and other "rabble." The latter could refer to Russian citizens who have gone over to the Ukrainian side.
The president also called on the FSB to join forces with other intelligences services in intensifying counterterrorist work. "We are dealing with a strong and dangerous adversary, who has a wide range of information, technical and financial resources in his arsenal ," he said.
Putin recalled the blowing up of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines under the Baltic Sea in 2022.
Border security also had to be strengthened, for example through greater effectiveness by mobile units, Putin said. He referred to land and sea borders, among them the Black Sea, where Ukrainian forces have been successful against the Russian navy.
The FSB has responsibility for protecting Russia's borders among its other duties.
