"The Moscow organized crime department and the Russian interior ministry are reducing this threat to the minimum both in Moscow and all through Russia," said Ovchinnikov.
Asked about the introduction of additional security measures, Nikolai Ovchinnikov confirmed this fact. He specified however that operational and preventive work had been mounting over the past 18 months.
"It is the established fact that terrorists have penetrated into Russia, which means that they can appear and strike at any place. Therefore we prefer to stage preventive operations rather than guess-we want to minimize prospects for sabotage and acts of terrorism," said Ovchinnikov. He admitted the possibility of such acts taking place anywhere in the country.
Some 150 acts of terrorism committed on the territory of Russia, including the Northern Caucasus and recent cases in Voronezh, remain unexposed, said Nikolai Ovchinnikov.
He had to admit that the tensions are still high as regards terrorism and extremism in Russia. The figure of exposed acts of terrorism over the past six months is 26.
Opening Friday the session of the federal anti-terrorism commission, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov noted that the commission is required to take proper measures of resistance and to cooperate constantly with anti-terrorism commissions in the provinces. "There should be clear-cut direct relations and feedback with regional anti-terrorism commissions," said Mr. Fradkov.
On the agenda of the federal commission are backing for anti-terrorism activities and a plan of work for this year. A report on security measures was made by Interior Minister of the Russian Federation Rashid Nurgaliev.
