Rusty castle

Part of the Russian state border is not guarded by anyone at all

Following the Russian air defense command, which recently revealed that there is no continuous radar field along our air borders, the director of the Federal Border Service, Konstantin Totsky, admitted: some sections of the state border are far from “locked” or not controlled at all. In the Arctic, according to Mr. Totsky, this is not required today. The general named other “problem” areas along the border with the Baltics, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and, of course, the North Caucasus.

The President and the government have given the FPS the task of “changing the face of the Russian border.” Where its line coincides with the former border of the USSR, it is almost formalized in international agreements, equipped and has the necessary infrastructure. New borders with the former Soviet republics are just being established. Drugs and weapons, precious and non-ferrous metals flow into the resulting gaps, and illegal migration and poaching flourish there. Expert studies have given a disappointing result: a reduction in tension on the Russian border is not expected in the next 5-10 years.

The meagerly funded (about 70% of needs) and downsizing service has to make do. Last year, the groupings of troops and service agencies in the North, North-West and Far East were “optimized”. Due to this, the density of forces and assets in the West, South-East and Transbaikalia has been increased. After the first 528 million rubles were received into the accounts of the Federal PS at the end of last year. The implementation of the Comprehensive Plan for Strengthening the Security of the State Border and its Development in the North Caucasus Region for 2003-2006, developed jointly with the General Staff and the FSB, has begun.

But this is just the first step. Russia borders on 16 countries. The federal target program “State Border of the Russian Federation (2003-2010)” has been developed and approved by the Russian Security Council, but has not yet been adopted. The entire range of measures to improve the state border, according to the estimates of the ministries and departments that exercise, as experts say, “their powers at the border,” amounts to 203.2 billion rubles. In other words, you need to invest at least 20 billion rubles per year.

However, the estimated allocations, as often happens with us, have already been reduced to 25-30% of what was declared. Border guards admit that this money may only be enough to equip particularly important areas. But even in this reduced version, it is planned to build and equip 550 military camps for border outposts and commandant’s offices, 140 border checkpoints and more than 900 other border infrastructure facilities.

Work continues on the preparation of a draft agreement between Russia and Belarus on the external border of the union state and its protection. Bringing it to life will also require money. In general, it is necessary to build, equip and reconstruct more than 80% of the main facilities. However, practically no money has been allocated for this over the past ten years, and we continue to live in a house with a half-open door on which hangs a fairly rusty Soviet-made lock.

Nikolay POROSKOV