MOSCOW. Jan 30 (Interfax) - Russian Deputy Interior Minister Igor Zubov's claim that large numbers of ISIL (banned in Russia) terrorists are moving closer to Tajikistan's border is his subjective forecast and is not the Interior Ministry's official position, Interior Ministry spokesperson Irina Volk said.
"The information voiced by Interior Ministry State Secretary and Deputy Minister Igor Zubov at the board meeting of the Interior Ministry of Tatarstan on January 28 reflects his subjective forecast of the possible development of the political situation in the Central Asian region," Volk told Interfax on Wednesday.
"These statements are not the Russian Interior Ministry's official position," she said.
Zubov said earlier that massive acts of provocation involving numerous refugees near Russia's southern borders were planned.
"Many ISIL fighters are being airlifted by unidentified helicopters from the territory of Pakistan toward the border with Tajikistan. There seem to be plans for massive provocations there, with major consequences and large numbers of refugees pouring toward Russia," Zubov said.
Citing findings by the Western intelligence community, he said that there were several possible scenarios for the development of the military-political situation around the world and that in one of them, the Volga region in Russia might be the scene of a future civilian and military conflict.
"There is a relevant scenario. We see an influx of migrants from certain countries to us. Even though they have been behaving in a more law-abiding way, the ideology they are importing here and their aspirations still require our increased attention," Zubov said.