MOSCOW. Nov 27 (Interfax-AVN) - There are no plans to increase the number of troops deployed in Russia's Far East, Deputy Russian Security Council Secretary Vladimir Potapov said prior to a Security Council session, which will deal with ensuring national security in the Far East. in the Far East]. There are enough forces and means there, and the only thing that needs to be done is to structurally organize them in compliance with current conditions," Potapov said in an interview published in the Wednesday issue of Nezavisimaya Gazeta.
Potapov said that it is essential to adjust the composition and location of the troops, especially the permanent alert units. It is also necessary to bring their organization and establishment in line with the tasks they are facing, and to reconsider mobilization deployment parameters.
At the same time, Potapov said that this issue does not imply a military threat in the Far East.
"According to the General Staff, the Far Eastern strategic theater of operations is not dangerous, if we consider the possibility of an armed invasion of our territory. We do not expect such conflicts in the next 10-15 years. We have quite friendly relations with China and Vietnam, and we are sure that we will settle our problems with Japan by diplomatic means. That is why the set of measures that is expected to be approved at the Security Council session is not a reaction to a specific challenge," Potapov said.
"However the military stick to the rule of keeping the powder dry. And that is why we have the mission of bringing the regional troops grouping to the state that matches the level of present-day threats. We naturally take into account the threat of international terrorism that is becoming more pressing with each day. The Asia-Pacific region is not a quiet place in this sense, just recall the dreadful terrorist acts in the Philippines and Indonesia. North Korea's nuclear program arouses some concern as well," he noted.
Potapov stressed that a comprehensive approach must be applied to all problems of the region.
"Pure military problems and missions hold quite a modest place. First, having made an unbiased assessment of external and internal threats to national security, we see that there are more internal threats and they are more real. Second, even most of the military problems are rooted in general economic and social issues," he said.
The official recalled that there are problems with manning the troops, providing them with required funds and equipment, accumulating and using mobilization resources in case of conflict. "If an outflow of population causes problems with maintaining troops, the situation cannot be improved with military means alone. We must work out a set of measures to suspend migration," Potapov said.
Measures should also be taken to stabilize the situation at defense industry enterprises of the Far East, most of which do not have sufficient workload or long-term prospects, the deputy secretary noted.