Disrupting Escalation Of Terror In Russia To Prevent - Belfer Center ...

(twelfth GUMO), which is the Defense Ministry’s nuclear security and maintenance
department. 17
“We have special information continuously incoming from the Federal Security Service
on terrorist groups’ plans against our facilities,” the general told Izvestia after a June 22, 2005
press conference. 18 He cited two cases where individuals tried to penetrate security perimeters as
evidence that terrorists have been casing Russian nuclear arsenals. In both cases, the attempt
involved one civilian intruder. Both facilities are located in the European part of Russia, he said.
Both attempts “were averted by our mobile units and security at the facilities.” The intruders
were apprehended and handed over to the FSB. The first attempt was made in 2002, and the
second in 2003. Valynkin would not elaborate on either of the two cases. However, he pointed at
Chechen groups when asked what actors pose the most serious threat of nuclear terrorism to
Russia. “It is, of course, Chechen terrorist groups,” the general said.
According to Nezavisimaya Gazeta, the suspects tried to case two separate facilities
located in the Saratov region. A Russian daily quoted a “well-informed source” in the Defense
Ministry as saying that that two ethnic Chechens, who resided in Saratov, tried to collect
intelligence on the facilities’ security systems as well as “determine the possibility of gaining
access to the arsenals.” 19
The Federal Security Service also makes no secret of its intelligence that terrorist groups
are making attempts to acquire weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear and biological
weapons with practical use in mind. “The terrorists are striving to obtain access to biological,
nuclear and chemical weapons. We record this, and we have such information,” FSB director
17 Igor Valynkin made these and following statements at a press conference in Moscow on June 22, 2005 [Is there
any newspaper that reported some of the comments that you could cite as well? - No I had transcripts of this press
conference].
18 Dmitry Litovkin, “Predotvrashcheny Dve Popytki Yadernogo Terrorisma,” Izvestia, June 23, 2005.
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