Support The Moscow Times!

Russia Thwarted Hooligans' Plot Against Foreign Fans at World Cup, Officials Say

Sergei Fadeichev / TASS

Russian law enforcement prevented several attacks planned against foreigners in the run-up to the football World Cup this summer, the country’s police chief said on Wednesday.

An estimated 3 million foreigners attended the 30-day tournament hosted by Russian in June and July amid what President Vladimir Putin called “unobtrusive” security measures in the 11 host cities. The World Cup was held without major security incidents despite pre-tournament concerns over possible racist, hooligan and terrorist attacks.

“Thanks to the rapid exchange of information, the activities of seven nationalist ‘football-hooligan’ groups were stopped during preparations for the championship,” Russia’s Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev said Wednesday.

The citizens of Senegal, Argentina, the United Kingdom and Poland were the potential targets of the nationalist attacks, Interfax quoted Kolokoltsev as saying.

“Criminal cases into extremist crimes have been opened in connection with these incidents,” he added.

The chief of the Federal Security Service (FSB) confirmed Wednesday that security forces had thwarted the plans of seven groups to attack foreign fans, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported.

He said the FSB had also foiled an unspecified number of terrorist drone attacks during the World Cup and other sporting events in Russia.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

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 you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more