Tension on Russia's southern border to remain in the next 5-10 years

Expert studies show that the tension on the Russian border is likely to remain in the next 5 to 10 years, Nikolai Reznichenko, 1st Deputy Director of the Russian Federal Border Service and chief of the FBS General Staff, told journalists on Monday.

As of today, the southern border sections and the external borders of some of the members of the Commonwealth of Independent States happen to be "in the zone of regional conflicts" and are characterized by high rates of "drug trafficking and smuggling of weapons, precious and non-ferrous metals, and various raw materials," said Reznichenko.

"We are particularly worried about the situation in the North Caucasus," he stressed, adding that intensive battle reconnaissance activities conducted by the region's border guards' group had led to the discovery of more than 20 militant caches containing a total of 52,000 pieces of ammunition.

"We are taking measures to tighten security on the Chechen section of the Russian-Georgian border, putting back the border posts that were removed with the beginning of the winter period," he said. "This section is also being reinforced by servicemen from the Special Task Detachment set up in Chechnya."