FSB General: ''Nobody will die from not going to a rally during World Cup 2018…''
Aleksandr Mikhailov shares his opinion on the draft decree stipulating a number of restrictions during sporting events in 2017 and 2018 in Russia
The Russians will experience ''enhanced security measures'' during the 2017 FIFA Сonfederations Cup and 2018 World Cup. So, all mass protests during the Confederations Cup 2017 and World Cup 2018 will be agreed with the Interior Ministry and FSB of Russia. The selling of weapons and alcohol in glass containers will probably be banned, and in the host cities of the World Cup there will be restricted flight areas defined. It is provided in the draft decree of the president of Russia, published on January 16 on the Internet-portal of legal information. At the request of Realnoe Vremya Major General of FSB in the reserve Aleksandr Mikhailov told about possible prerequisites for such draft decree.
Absolutely clear practice
''It is an absolutely clear practice,'' said Major General of FSB in the reserve Aleksandr Mikhailov about the draft decree of the president of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin concerning the need to coordinate all mass events that are going to be held in Kazan during the major sporting events in 2017 and 2018. Speaking on the preconditions for such decree, the expert noted that such practice ''is connected with holding major sporting events having some significance, especially during the tense international situation.''
''International events should take place in comfortable conditions. If we are talking about holding a major sporting event, the issue of coordination of rallies will be scandalous. First, why it is needed, and second, the forces and means involved in ensuring the safety of sporting events exclude the possibility of distraction of these forces for ensuring law and order at rallies. This is an understandable practice.''
Mikhailov also stressed that the 2017 Confederations Cup and the 2018 World Cup, during which they may prohibit the sale of arms, are held in summer. ''During this period, there is no hunting. Consequently, no urgent need to sell guns to hunters in the offseason. Everything has been done correctly, nobody will die from not going to a rally for a month, nobody will have head lice from the fact that they did not buy a gun and ammunition,'' said Mikhailov.
Trial by fire of the Russian Guards
Speaking of why the function to check the points for selling arms has been entrusted to the National Guard of Russia, the interviewer noted that today this body ''has such functions''.
''The whole licensing system related to the trafficking of weapons has been assigned to the National Guard. Now it is their direct function because the license service has been removed from the interior ministry and transferred to the National Guard, so it's their direct responsivity now. It is like a trial by fire, especially that the checks will be conducted by the same people who have come from there to the Russian Guards.''
Unmanned aircraft as a potential threat
The interlocutor of Realnoe Vremya also explained the idea of restriction flight areas, including the restriction of remote-piloted vehicles with a maximum takeoff weight of 30 kg or less, in the airspace above the territory and waters, within which the increased security measures are being introduced.
''Unmanned aircrafts, if they work (at the matches of the Confederations Cup and the 2018 World Cup — editor's note), they will be only certified, with a certain right to control to certain people. Ones should be for television, for controlling massive congestions of people. Other ones, which belong to physical persons, should be banned, since any drones can carry on their board a certain quantity of explosives. God forbid, it will collapse on heads of passers-by.''
We should not expose to danger our daily lives
''The Olympics is absolutely incomparable to the Confederations Cup and the 2018 World Cup, even by number of participants. It is rather local event. For example, at the World Cup in France the security was provided by forces, in my opinion, of 9 thousand employees of law enforcement agencies, 6 thousand of which were policemen and 3 thousand, security officers. But during the Olympics in Moscow, we had at the large sports arena alone 4 thousand police officers, at the stadium there were 10 thousand security personnel and law enforcement officers. But this is a more local event, despite its international significance. Anyway, we should not expose to danger our daily lives.''
What other security measures will be during the 2018 World Cup
Reinforced security measures introduced in all host cities will also affect arriving in the Russian Federation foreigners. Their registration will be carried out during a day. As it is specified in the draft decree, this requirement for the registration of foreigners is not applied to the citizens of the Russian Federation and foreign citizens-participants of the competition, as well as representatives of FIFA, its subsidiaries, the confederations and national football associations included in the lists of the International Federation.
Moreover, the entry into the territory of 11 cities of Russia will be limited for some categories of buses during the 2018 World Cup, tours for tourists will also be suspended.
The draft decree also suggests ''to suspend or limit during the period of the introduction of enhanced security measures the activities of hazardous industries and organizations that use explosives, radioactive, chemical and biological hazardous substances''. The list of these organizations will be determined by the government of the Russian Federation.