Russia to form air defence force for Sochi Olympics

Moscow, June 25

Russia is to form an air defence force to ensure the security at the Sochi Olympics, a military official said Monday.

The special force, to be set up ahead of the 2014 Winter Games, will provide security at all levels, including the Black Sea areas, Air Defence Commander Andrei Yudin told reporters in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, reported Xinhua.

The force will include anti-aircraft missile systems and close-range launchers, according to the official.

Though the air defence systems in the Caucasus region were fully operative, the defence force needs to do more to ensure the security during the Olympic period.

The Sochi Winter Olympics will take place February 7-23. President Vladimir Putin said previously preparations for the games were "right on course as scheduled."

Russian Federal Security Service agents in May seized ten weaponry caches in Abkhazia, including explosives, ammunition and air defence missile systems for terrorist acts against the games.

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