In view of the tragic events of the past few days, additional measures are being taken in Moscow to prevent disruptions in the work of government agencies, Sergei Devyatov, Press Officer of the Federal Security Guards Service, told the media Wednesday.
Specifically, more security guards have been placed inside and outside the White House federal government headquarters, and those ringing the compound have been provided with rifles and body armor.
Security forces throughout downtown Moscow have been on heightened alert since yesterday's blast outside the Rizhskaya subway station, which left ten people killed and more than fifty others wounded, the Federal Security Service reports.
Transportation authorities say security has been enhanced in the city's subway and in rail terminals. The emphasis is on the check of luggage and freights, as well as of storage premises, especially basements and attics.
Security has also been tightened at nuclear power facilities across Russia. According to a spokesperson for the Federal Atomic Energy Service, additional security measures at nuclear sites were taken immediately after the Aug. 24 crash of two passenger jets shortly after takeoff from a Moscow airport, presumably as a result of terror attacks.
According to officials at the Unified Energy Systems electricity giant, there is tight security around major electricity sites, too, but no emergency measures have been taken. Anti-terrorist vigilance is part of our daily routine, a UES spokesman explained.
It was amid tight security that festivities to mark the beginning of the new academic year were held at Moscow schools on September 1, said Kirill Mazurin, Press Officer of the city's Interior Department.
