MOSCOW, March 6. /TASS/. Foreign intelligence services have set their sights on increasing their influence over all that is happening in Russia, President Vladimir Putin said at a board meeting of the Federal Security Service (FSB) on Wednesday.

"We see that foreign intelligence services are seeking to bolster their efforts on the Russian front, doing everything they can to obtain access to political, economic, scientific and technological information," he said, adding that "just like before, and now probably even harder, (foreign intelligence services) are trying to influence events in our country."

Russian special services uncovered 129 staff members and 465 agents of foreign intelligence agencies in 2018, Vladimir Putin stressed.

"As many as 129 staff members and 465 agents of foreign intelligence agencies were unmasked as a result of special operations," he said.

Putin pointed out that foreign intelligence agencies sought to increase their influence on processes going on in Russia. "We can see that foreign intelligence services seek to step up their activities on the Russian track, they have been making every possible effort to get access to political, economic, scientific and technological information," the Russian president noted.

"That said, you must increase your efficiency. Just like before, and perhaps even more than ever, [foreign intelligence agencies] seek to influence the processes going on in our country."

Putin added that Russia’s counterintelligence agencies had demonstrated efficiency and proactivity in 2018.