Has Vladimir Putin just crowned a new spy chief?

It certainly seems that way. On Thursday, Putin’s chief spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Sergei Korolyov has been appointed as a deputy director of the FSB intelligence service. Korolyov’s record and reputation indicate that he is being groomed to replace either FSB director Alexander Bortnikov or national security council chief Nikolai Patrushev, both of whom turn 70 this year.