NOVO-OGARYOVO, August 12./TASS/. Patrolling has been stepped up in the Kursk Region to protect against looting, Alexey Smirnov, the region's acting governor, told Russian President Vladimir Putin via video-conference on the situation along the Russian border.

"We are keeping an eye on cases of looting. Of course, there is a danger that sabotage groups are operating here (in the region - TASS) wearing our clothing, riding our cars and with our documents on them. That is why we are stepping up patrols. Moscow has helped us: we have 1,000 people from a Moscow state enterprise. To strengthen the protection of bridges and railroads we are now waiting for people from Russian Transport Ministry agencies, our voluntary people’s militia patrols," Smirnov said.

The acting governor noted that although a number of settlements and district centers have been vacated, some people have opted to stay. "We do not have a forced resettlement, so stores stay open. We had to ban the sale of alcohol," he said.