silovik

In the Russian political lexicon, a silovik (Russian: силовик, IPA: [sʲɪlɐˈvʲik], roughly meaning a 'strongman'; plural: siloviki, Russian: силовики, IPA: [sʲɪləvʲɪˈkʲi], 'strongmen') is a person with a security service background, i.e. government institutions responsible for the exercise of coercive state power. Examples include the Russian Armed Forces, the Russian national police, Russian national drug control (GUKON), Russian immigration control (GUVM), the Ministry of Justice, the Federal Security Service (FSB), former KGB personnel, Main Intelligence Directorate of the Russian General Staff (GRU), the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), and the Federal Protective Service (FSO). This word is also used for a politician who came into politics from these organisations. Siloviki is also u...