Moscow's police force is on high alert amid the threat of a terrorist attack in the capital, Moscow police chief Anatoly Yakunin told the Rossia 24 television channel on Tuesday, the Interfax news agency reported.
“Of course, we've increased the activities of the Interior Ministry [law enforcement] bodies in Moscow in connection with the threats from various sources,” he said.
Yakunin made the statement when he was asked whether the capital's police had been affected by the threats voiced by the Islamic State militant group — which has pledged retaliation against Russia for its air strikes in Syria — and other extremist groups.
“We are going through industrial zones, markets and other places where there could be foreign citizens, as well as people who are of interest in relation to extremist activities,” Yakunin said.
Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon on Monday joined several Western leaders — including Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron and U.S. President Barack Obama — to point to a bomb planted by terrorists as the most probable cause of the crash of a Russian Airbus A321 over Egypt's Sinai peninsula earlier this month, the Reuters news agency reported.
Russia on Friday halted its air traffic to Egypt on the advice of the Federal Security Service (FSB) head Alexander Bortnikov, following an earlier flight freeze by Britain.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at the time the decision did not mean Russia had concluded terrorism was to blame for the crash in which all 224 people on board were killed.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
