World Cup: Russia To Protect Stadiums From Drones

stadium to be secured from drones

Drones Banned In Stadium Area To Guard Against Bombing

In respect to security of stadiums for the World Cup in Russia, the government has set up jamming devices used in Syria and Ukraine war, to kick against drone attack.

One of the major focus of the organisers has been the threat of terror during the World Cup which will last from June 14 through July 15.

Report has it that the host country has experienced string of suicide bombings since it won the right to host the football tournament in 2010.

Quite a number of the bombing has been pointed to be from militants from the north Caucasus with ties to the Islamic State group in Syria. Russia’s military bases in the war ravaged Middle East nation have also been targeted by deadly drone attacks this year.

The possibility of someone using the drone device to drop a bomb on a stadium is one Russia’s defence ministry is not taking lightly.

Moscow’s RBK news site said army chief Valery Gerasimov issued orders in February to set up jamming stations outside the 12 stadiums that would make remotely operating a drone impossible.

A source in the Russian defence ministry told RBK that some of the units are still classified as top secret and only available to the FSB security service.

Others have reportedly been set up in Syria and spotted in east Ukraine by European monitors of the four-year conflict between Kiev forces and Russian-backed separatists.

“Drones are an effective way to deliver two or three kilogrammes (one or two pounds) of TNT, land them on a target and detonate them,” former anti-terror officer Alexei Filatov told RBK.

Russia has set up dozens of no flight zones and other air space restrictions for the coming months.

These cover not only the stadiums and 11 host cities but also training grounds and hotels that will be used by the 32 participating national teams.

The transportation ministry has identified 41 locations around which all types of flights from drones to planes are prohibited.

These stretch from anywhere between 500m (500 yards) and 10m (six miles). But operating a drone will be illegal within around 100km of any of the 11 host cities.

Drone flights over Moscow are permanently banned.

Russian state media have been issuing regular reporters in recent months of state security services conducting raids that led to the capture of alleged terror masterminds.

President Vladimir Putin also took the unusual step in December of personally thanking US counterpart Donald Trump for providing intelligence that helped avert the bombing of a major cathedral in Saint Petersburg.