Russia PM Putin Calls for Tough Anti-Terrorist Measures

In Grozny, a viewer reflects on Russian PM Putin’s annual TV phone-in program. Photo by BGNES

The Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, has demanded tough measures be taken against those who bombed a Moscow-St Petersburg train last Friday, causing the deaths of 26 people.

The attack showed that the threat of terrorism on Russian territory remained high, he said.

“It is necessary to act in a very tough way against criminals who carry out these kinds of terrorist attacks,” he continued, urging viewers to remain vigilant and alert to possible future attacks.

Putin was speaking Thursday on state news channel Vesti on Thursday, in the latest of his annual TV phone-ins. Viewers had submitted over 0,7 M questions for the occasion, according to the organizers.

The Prime Minister reminded that it was not only security that remained as a priority for many. He answered one lady who had asked how she should survive the recession by stating that the worst of the crisis was over.

BBC Moscow correspondent Rupert Wingfield Hayes commented that many viewers had expected Putin to give some indication of who his government believes to be responsible for the train attack, but that his answers were vague and evasive.

He added that, whereas the annual phone-in was a novelty some years ago, it seemed to have lost much of its spontaneity on this occasion.