MOSCOW. May 18 (Interfax-AVN) - More than 4,000 Russians are fighting as part of terrorist groups in the Middle East, and 151 returning militants have already been convicted, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev said in an interview published in the Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper.
"Given that over 4,000 militants coming from the Russian Federation are fighting as part of terrorist groups in the Middle East, the danger remains that they will return and carry out terrorist activities already on Russian territory," Patrushev said.
"Of those who returned to Russia, 151 people have been convicted and 29 arrested, and many are being checked for involvement in international terrorist organizations' activities," Patrushev said.