FSB Proposes Lowering Physical Fitness Standards for Recruits Russia’s feared domestic security service is quietly lowering the bar—literally. A new draft order from the FSB would slash physical fitness requirements for would‑be officers and students, but offers no public explanation for why.

What’s changing

Independent outlet Novaya Gazeta Europe reports that the FSB has decided to reduce the minimum scores for physical fitness tests for candidates for contract service in security agencies and entrants to departmental universities, replacing the existing 2016 standards with a more lenient system. The update introduces finer age brackets for both men and women and, crucially, cuts the required scores, especially for older recruits.

Meduza, citing the same draft, notes that the minimum passing scores will “drop significantly — particularly for older candidates.” Under the proposal, men aged 50 and above would need just 60 points across three exercises testing strength, speed, and endurance, while those 45–49 would need 70 points. The current minimum for these age groups is 140 points—more than double.

How opposition media frame it

Opposition‑aligned outlets cast the move as a red flag, not a fitness reform. Novaya Gazeta Europe leads with the blunt headline: “FSB Decides to Lower Physical Fitness Standards for Contract Service Candidates,” underscoring the scale of the rollback rather than any modernization rationale.

Meduza is even starker in English: “Russia’s FSB proposes cutting physical fitness test minimums for military service candidates,” highlighting that the draft “offers no explanation for the revision.” The absence of justification invites a political reading: either the FSB is struggling to fill its ranks, or standards now matter less than numbers.

The silence from the state

What’s missing is any official narrative—no talk of inclusivity, modernization, or aligning tests with real job demands. The Kremlin’s security arm appears content to lower the hurdle without saying why, leaving opposition media to do the math—and the framing—for them.