Pronichev also held the title of First Deputy Director of the Federal Security Service (FSB), the successor organization to KGB.

Born in 1953, Pronichev served with the Soviet Border Troops as an officer in the Transcaucasus, the Russian Far East, and the Northwest Border Districts from 1974 to 1981.

When the Federal Border Guard Service was reorganized (in 2003) as a directorate of the FSB, Pronichev was named to lead the Border Service and retained his former title as well.

Vladimir Pronichev was the head of the FSB operation on the ground in the Beslan school siege and Moscow theater hostage crisis.

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