Two senior Russian anti-terrorism officials were sacked on Tuesday for failing to prevent January’s deadly Moscow airport bombing, the ITAR-TASS News Agency reported.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. (Photo courtesy of kremlin.ru)
The Federal Security Service informed that deputy chief Col. V.G. Aladin and economic security chief Lieut. Col. A.N. Sveshnikov were removed from their positions with the federal security service FSB.
“On behalf of the president the head of the FSB presented to him a list of officers responsible for errors in the work, who were dismissed due to improper execution of their duties,” said Natalia Timakova, head of the Presidential Press Service and Information Department.
The press secretary Timakova added that the investigation on the terrorist attack on Moscow’s Domodedovo airport is ongoing and other security officials could be punished if necessary.
On January 26, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev relieved transport security chief Gen. Andrei Alekseyev from his duties at the Interior Ministry transport security directorate.
Medvedev warned that more dismissals will follow. The Russian leader said that there were clear security breaches on Moscow’s blast and those responsible will be punished including Domodedovo airport’s management.
On January 24, a blast occurred at Domodedovo International Airport in the international arrivals hall at about 4.32 p.m. local time. The explosion took place in a general area where persons who are not passengers have free access.
A total of 35 people were killed while 202 others were injured. On Tuesday, Chechen Islamist rebel leader Dokka Umarov claimed responsibility for ordering a suicide bombing attack.
