MOSCOW. Nov 12 (Interfax-AVN) - Additional security measures have been taken at Russian chemical weapons storage and disposal facilities due to the growing threat of terrorist attacks, Igor Kondakov, deputy head of the Federal Department for Safe Storage and Destruction of Chemical Weapons under the Russian Ammunition Agency, said on Tuesday.
"In order to offer resistance to criminals and armed bandit groups, additional security measures have been taken at chemical weapons storage and disposal facilities," Kondakov told Interfax- Military News Agency.
"Guards have been reinforced and extra servicemen added to them at protected installations," he said.
All important facilities on the territory of military compounds have been put under guard, and patrols established in restricted-access zones and areas. Quick-response units have been put on permanent alert. Engineering equipment of guard posts and fences has been checked and put in readiness in military units. Means and forces assigned to cope with the aftermath of emergency situations are on five-minute alert.
Close interaction has been established with territorial bodies of the Interior Ministry, Federal Security Service and Emergencies Ministry, the parties are sharing data on the current situation at stationing areas of military units.
According to Kondakov, the federal department carried out purposeful work to improve guard service at protected installations before terrorists scaled up their activity.
"We improve the guard system at installations every year, we are boosting its reliability through application of up-to-date technical assets. In the past two years, technical protection assets have been installed in more than 20km of guarded lines and up to 200 sets of technical protection assets worth over USD1.4m have been put in operation," Kondakov said.
"At the same tine, equipping of installations in Shchuchye, the Kurgan region, and Kizner, the Udmurtian republic, is financed by the United States in the framework of the threat reduction program," he noted.
"As a result of the measures taken to improve guard and defense of installations and their protection from illegal trespassing, unsanctioned access to chemical weapons storage facilities is out of the question," Kondakov concluded.