MOSCOW, March 10. /TASS/. The counterterrorism system Russia has been developing over the past 20 years has made it possible to cope with new threats during wartime, Alexander Bortnikov, Federal Security Service (FSB) director and chairman of the National Anti-Terrorism Committee (NAC), said in an interview with the Rossiyskaya Gazeta daily on the 20th anniversary of the NAC’s establishment.
"The counter-terrorism system built in peacetime has generally met the new challenges of the war period, which testifies to the correctness of our chosen course," he noted. "Yes, the range of threats has expanded, but we have found methods to mitigate them, developed new countermeasure mechanisms, strengthened coordination between government and law enforcement agencies, expanded their framework, reviewed the balance of forces and resources, improved the regulatory framework, and strengthened interaction with civil society."
According to him, "this work never stops for a minute." The NAC personnel are continuously monitoring the situation—receiving and analyzing information on new terrorist threats—for an objective assessment of the effectiveness of its work. The findings are reviewed at meetings of the NAC and the Federal Operational Headquarters, during which necessary adjustments are made to counter-terrorism efforts.
Bortnikov recalled that decisions made by the NAC are binding on all government agencies, organizations, and citizens. "Thus, our system allows us to quickly respond to any adverse changes in the situation and develop adequate and effective measures to rectify it," the FBS chief noted.