Moscow - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday warned about the dangers for the disarmament system and world security due to the United States'' withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF).

Washington's decision to leave the INF is a direct step towards the destabilization of the entire system of agreement in the sphere of international security, the Russian head of State noted.

Unfortunately, that worsens the operative situation, the president said at an extended session of the Federal Security Service (FSB), when speaking about the treaty, which establishes the elimination of missiles with a range between 500 and 5,500 kilometers.

Foreign intelligence services seek to increase their influence on all kinds of processes in Russia, so we should take measures to counter that activity, Putin stressed.

The Russian president pointed out that foreign espionage seeks information on the political, economic, scientific and technological sectors all the time.

Hence the necessary work by the FSB as in the old days, more precise now than ever, the statesman underlined.

Putin went on to say that in 2018, the Russian security services aborted activities by 129 foreign intelligence officers and 465 infiltrated spies.

The president also referred to a decrease in crimes of terrorism from 997 to nine in one decade.