silovik

From Russian силови́к (silovík), from си́ла (síla, “force”) + adjective suffix -ов (-ov, “-able/-ible”) + agent suffix -ик (-ik, “-ist, -er”), adjective: силово́й (silovój, “of or related to force”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈsiːləvɪk/, /ˈsɪləvɪk/

silovik (plural siloviks or siloviki)

1. (politics) A member of the Russian military, law enforcement, or intelligence services (the KGB or FSB), or a politician with a background in such services.
   • 2023, Robert Service, “The Misinformation Game”, in Literary Review, number 520:

     [T]he so-called siloviki have installed themselves deep inside the country’s boss class – something that did not happen to anything like the same degree during the Cold War.

• securocrat
• Chekist