Russia will boost security measures during the 2018 World Cup, the country’s Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko has confirmed.
“Security measures will be tightened following the recent events in the world. The security concept has been coordinated. A special Fifa delegation will come on November 30,” said Mutko who also heads the Local Organizing Committee for the finals and is a member of Fifa’s exco.
According to Mutko, Fifa is satisfied with Russia’s preparations for the 2018 World Cup.
“We are looking forward for the great event,” said Mutko “Today we’ve discussed in detail preparations for the World Cup with our colleagues. This is a joint project and we work as one team. We are grateful to all Fifa colleagues.
“Fifa is a major organization and the World Cup is its biggest project. Of course, we are planning to fulfill all obligations.”
Mutko was speaking at a press conference alongside, Markus Kattner, Fifa’s acting secretary general. The pair said there would be particular focus on protecting crowds of fans gathered in city-centre fan zones, where security is often lighter than at stadiums.
Today’s announcement comes in the wake of last week’s terrorist attacks in Paris and also just weeks since a Russian airliner was brought down over Sinai, killing all 224 people on board. Responsibility for both attacks was claimed by Islamic State, purportedly in retaliation for air strikes carried out by both French and Russian forces in Syria.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup will be held between June 14 and July 15 with matches staged at 12 stadiums in 11 Russian cities: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Sochi, Samara, Nizhny Novgorod, Kaliningrad, Rostov-on-Don, Yekaterinburg, Volgograd and Saransk.
