Bomb on board

The FSB of Russia admitted that the crash of the aircraft with Russian tourists over Sinai was the result of the attack

The head of the FSB, Alexander Bortnikov, said that the collapse of the Russian aircraft on the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt on October 31 was the result of a "terrorist act". Russian President Vladimir Putin promises to “find and punish” those who are responsible for the attack, which killed 224 people.

The director of the Federal Security Service of Russia Alexander Bortnikov, late in the evening of Monday, announced at a meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin that the Airbus A321 plane Kogalymavia had suffered a disaster on October 31 due to the explosion of a home-made explosive device that was on board. According to Bortnikov, the incident can be unequivocally qualified as a terrorist attack:

- A study of personal belongings, baggage and parts of the aircraft that crashed in Egypt was conducted. As a result of examinations, traces of explosive of foreign production were revealed on all objects. According to our experts, a homemade explosive device with a capacity of up to one kilogram in TNT equivalent worked on board the aircraft in flight. As a result, the aircraft is collapsing in the air, which explains the large spread of the parts of the fuselage. We can definitely say that this is a terrorist act, ”said Alexander Bortnikov.

In response, the head of state promised to find and punish the criminals. Vladimir Putin also stated that the Russian military operation in Syria will not only continue, but also expanded:

- This is not the first time Russia is faced with barbaric terrorist crimes. Most often for no apparent reason - external or internal ... The murder of our people in Sinai is among the most bloody crimes in the number of victims, and we will not wipe tears from our soul and heart. This will remain with us forever, but this will not prevent us from finding and punishing criminals ... We will look for them everywhere wherever they hide. We will find them anywhere in the planet and punish them ... The combat work of our aviation in Syria should not only be continued, it should be strengthened. Thus, for the criminals to understand that retaliation is inevitable, ”said the President of Russia.

Vladimir Putin also called on the Russian Foreign Ministry to appeal to all partners of the state: "We are counting on during this work, including the search and punishment of criminals, for all our friends." Soon, the official representative of the Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova wrote on her Facebook that the president’s order would be fulfilled. And the Federal Security Service announced a reward of $ 50 million for information that will help establish terrorists involved in the undermining of the Kogalymavia aircraft aircraft.

Pretty soon a simple question will arise: where are the successes in the fight against terrorism, if terrorist acts grow instead of defeating terrorists?

Meanwhile, sources in the US government reported on Monday that neither Russia nor Egypt accepted the proposal from the FBI to assist in the investigation of the plane crash. The FBI proposed a forensic medical assistance, said the press secretary of the FBI Joshua Campbell. Representatives of American intelligence, which referring to Reuters, believe that terrorists could penetrate the airport of the Sharm Esh-Sheikh resort city and lay a bomb on board the Russian aircraft. According to US officials, the airport employee could penetrate on board the Russian aircraft.

Shortly after the crash of the airliner, the Local branch of the Islamic State terrorist group (terrorist group prohibited in Russia. - RS) , who calls himself the "Sinai province of the Islamic State", stated that the terrorist attack became revenge on the military intervention of Russia in the Civil War in Syria. The army in the Sinai, most of which is a closed military zone.

According to military expert Alexander Golts, the expansion of the air operation of Russian troops in Syria is very likely. However, attracting a disaster to Russia to Russia: a catastrophe for Russia:

- Russia, of course, persisted for a very long time not to recognize this with a terrorist attack, and for obvious reasons. Because, one way or another, the recognition of the attack threw a shadow at such a wonderful Russian operation in Syria. The Russian layman, of course, is subject to explanations of Russian television, but to carry out a primitive logical operation, namely, to understand that before the beginning of this wonderful anti -terrorist operation the planes did not explode, and after it began to explode, it is able to explode. Therefore, it is very difficult to say what further actions the Russian government will take. It is more or less clear that such a demonstration operation is satisfied when the Russians do not die, and all this looks like a computer game. However, a very simple question will arise quite soon: where are the successes in the fight against terrorism, if terrorist acts increase instead of the defeat of terrorists? In this sense, apparently, something will have to be done, and I would like to hope that this will be limited to strengthening air operations. Because, of course, the beginning of the ground operation will turn into a disaster.

- Disaster for the Russian economy?

It is pointless to set political tasks for the military ... This makes the war endless

- Over the past 60 years, there is not a single case when the domestic regular army won the rebels. In order to even theoretically win such a victory, Russia needs to deploy about 200 thousand military personnel. This is an inconceivable task, because even if this had succeeded, there would be a question about the supply of such a huge group and so on. For those resources that Russia possesses, this is a completely unthinkable task.

-Is it hypothetical about soldiers-condenses?

- Not necessarily. In general, you can form armed forces consisting of contractors. But again I am talking about a purely hypothetical situation, this is impossible.

- If we talk about what is happening in reality, in your opinion, how effective is the air operation in Syria in the sense of the tasks, that is, the fight against the Islamic State terrorist organization?

- Many years ago it was said that it is pointless to set political tasks for the military. It’s pointless to set the task of struggle against the “Islamic state” before the military. They need to set a specific military task, for example, push the front line by 10-15 kilometers, or free the city of cancer, or go to the Turkish border. I don't know. To set the task of maintaining Assad’s regime, as Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin formulated, or to fight the Islamic State is completely pointless. This makes the war endless.

- The version of the attack seems convincing to you?

- Quite. At least, apparently, Russia had reason to transport tourists separately from baggage. This means that the relevant Russian bodies and the Russian authorities received convincing evidence that the attack was committed.

- Is it worth it to be afraid of the continuation of these tragic events, but now in Russia?

- I'm afraid that we cannot exclude such a situation. All control measures, verification, they, in general, bring a very limited effect. Large cities, airports, stations are almost defenseless before terrorists, let's admit it. The only way of effective struggle is agent activity within terrorist organizations. As far as I understand, Russia (as, indeed, all other countries) does not have a lot of agents within the "Islamic state", if it is at all. And this means that terrorist acts are possible, ”says Alexander Golts .

At the end of last week, Russia suspended passenger flights to Egypt. Over the past weekend, an air bridge for the evacuation of thousands of Russian vacationers was installed, who were in Sinai after regular flights were canceled.

A321, who was from Sharm Esh-Sheikh to St. Petersburg, suffered a disaster near the village of El Hasna on the Sinai Peninsula on October 31. All 224 people on board were killed, most of them are Russians. Among the victims are also four citizens of Ukraine and one citizen of Belarus.