MOSCOW, March 10. /TASS/. Over 1,000 attempted terrorist attacks have been thwarted in Russia over the past 20 years, more than 2,500 militants eliminated and some 17,000 of their accomplices detained, Alexander Bortnikov, Federal Security Service (FSB) director and chairman of the National Anti-Terrorism Committee (NAC), said at a session dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the NAC’s founding, which was established by a presidential decree on March 10, 2006.

He also noted that Ukrainian intelligence agencies, with guidance from the West, are waging terrorist and subversive warfare against Russia.

TASS has compiled the FSB director’s main statements.

Terrorism prevention

Russian special services have recently prevented "a whole series of high-profile terrorist attacks, including the assassination of high-ranking government officials and command personnel of the Russian army and national guard, the use of homemade bombs and firearms on public transport amidst heavy passenger traffic and an apartment building being bombed."

Ukrainian intelligence agencies, with guidance from the West, are waging terrorist and subversive warfare against Russia: "Apart from international terrorist organizations, we are also confronted by Ukrainian intelligence agencies and their foreign puppet masters, who appear to have lost touch with reality, believing their actions will have no consequences. This is a completely new, higher level of terrorist threats," Bortnikov noted.

Russia is ready for the the terrorist threats from the Kiev regime to escalate as the Ukrainian army continues to struggle in battle: "We recognize that under the current Kiev regime, whose anti-Russian course the West has generously sponsored, even at the price of its own international image, the terrorist threat will not only persist but intensify as the position of the Ukrainian military continues to deteriorate."

The perpetrators are conned or financially tricked into becoming "human bombs": "So-called ideological anti-establishment fighters are one thing, they are enemies and will be treated as such, but I personally never cease to be amazed at those who fall for fraudulent schemes or financial incentives, agreeing to become ‘human bombs’ in the hands of the enemy."

Fight against terrorism

Since the 1990s, Western intelligence services have used terrorism as a tool of geopolitical struggle against Russia and have controlled the activities of terrorist groups emerging on Russian territory: "The eternal control of terrorist groups became evident. It was carried out by the intelligence services of hypocritical countries that called themselves our partners."

Thanks to the counter-terrorism system developed over the 20-year period, new, wartime threats have been generally manageable: "Although the range of threats has expanded, we have found methods to neutralize them, developed new counterterrorism mechanisms, strengthened coordination between government and law enforcement, providing the latter with new tools and reconsidering the allocation of forces and resources, as well as improving the legal framework and communication with the public."

In Russia, "there is a clear vertical structure in place that allows for coordinated and fairly effective counteraction to identified challenges and threats, even under the most difficult conditions."

Counter-terrorism operation regime

Over the past 20 years, Russia has gained extensive experience in applying the counter-terrorism operation (CTO) regime, which has helped restore "full-fledged peaceful life" in the North Caucasus.

Introducing the CTO regime in regions bordering Ukraine in 2024 has provided a "reliable barrier" against saboteurs.

The issue of lifting the CTO regime in those areas "will be decided as Russian troops advance, creating a buffer zone along the current border."

Anti-drone protection

Measures to protect industrial, energy and transport facilities from drone attacks have been developed and incorporated into regulations: "Security zones have been established around such infrastructure. Departmental and transport security employees have been granted the right to neutralize airborne threats."

Cooperation with Western intelligence

Cooperation between Russia and the West in the sphere of intelligence, including anti-terrorism, will be restored following the inevitable change of elites: "I believe that the change of Western elites, which is inevitable, will usher in the return of common sense and rationality. Professionalism will prevail and politics will take a back seat. Then we will renew our cooperation, including in the sphere of anti-terrorism."