Dmitri Medvedev: no decrease of criminality in Northern Caucasus

66 terror acts have been prevented in Northern Caucasus since the start of this year - this statistics was announced today at a meeting in the city of Essentuki dedicated to security in the NCFD (North-Caucasian Federal District) by Alexander Bortnikov, head of the FSB (Federal Security Bureau). However, according to President Dmitri Medvedev, it has not improved the operative situation in the region.

According to Mr Bortnikov, the undertaken preventive measures have helped almost to halve the number of terror crimes in the territory of Chechnya and Ingushetia against the previous year; a decrease in terrorist activity was marked in Dagestan. However, at the same time he noted that the operative situation in the region remains complex, as reported by the website of President of Russia, where a transcript of the start of the meeting was posted.

"In general, the work done has reduced the total number of terror crimes in the NCFD in 2010 by 20 percent as compared with 2009," the head of the FSB has reported.

At the same time, President Dmitri Medvedev is far less optimistic in his estimates. He said that indeed a significant number of militants, including their leaders, had been neutralized; however, the overall situation has not changed.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on November 18 Rashid Nurgaliev, Russian Interior Minister, said at the meeting in Pyatigorsk that the highest level of terrorist threat among the republics of North Caucasus is registered in Dagestan and Kabardino-Balkaria.