Police to Spend RUR 320 Mln on Seaport Security

10.04.2012 Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs will spend RUR 320 mln on security equipment to protect seaports accommodating nuclear-powered vessels fr om underwater terrorists, writes Izvestiya referring to a source in the ministry.

According to the interviewee, interior ministry plans to purchase two mobile port defense systems. Each one comprises two fast-speed boats, two small-size air cushion vessels, off-road vehicles, Ural trucks, lift trucks, trailer chassis, diving stations, control and observation posts, etc.

The hardware will be used for port surveillance on land, in harbor area, and under water. Reportedly, that must be high-mobility equipment to let special-purpose units start anti-terror activities within a one-day term.

The mentioned systems are purchased under the large-scale governmental program aimed at transport security on the threshold of Winter Olympics 2014 in Sochi and APEC Summit 2012 in Vladivostok. The program's budget is evaluated as RUR 46 bln.

According to the source of Izvestiya, the port security equipment will be included in guard units' inventory. It was not specified wh ere exactly police counter-terror stations will be deployed.

Only civil assets will be protected, including nuclear-powered icebreakers in Murmansk, reports Izvestiya. Besides, interior ministry may provide security of radioactive material transit ports. As for co-chairman of EcoProtection movement Vladimir Slivyak, there are about 13 harbors of such kind in Russia including St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad.

As was reported in Feb 2012, Ministry of Internal Affairs had purchased two electric guns to fight underwater raiders. The RUR 12-mln device generates a high-energy electrical discharge under water which deafens terrorists.

Formerly, combat divers and underwater experts were subordinated only to Federal Security Service (FSB) and Federal Protection Service (FSO), the head of Alpha Veteran Association Sergei Goncharov told Izvestiya.