Russia is Strengthening Its Borders in North Caucasus

Almost US $17 million was spent last year to strengthen Russian borders in North Caucasus.

According to head of the press service of the RF Federal Frontier Service North Caucasian regional department lieutenant-colonel Sergei Livantsov, the border guards take planned measures to increase the security on several stretches of the border. It's the continuation of the plan introduced last year, he said, when nine additional permanent frontier posts and more than a hundred temporary frontier posts were established on the border with Chechnya and the adjacent stretches of Russian-Georgian border. Those measures increased the total number of military personnel by 6,000 people.

Sergei Livantsov also informed that a new body of frontier troops is being formed. Units from the special purpose detachment were sent to a temporary location. New commandant's offices appeared in Vladikavkaz and Nalchik frontier detachments.

During 2002-2006, more than US $310 million is planned to be allocated to implement the comprehensive program designed to increase the protection of the southern border. Those funds, underlined Sergei Livantsov, will be primarily used to buy more sophisticated weapons and communications equipment, new vehicles, and also for construction work on the border.