Moscow said that it "stopped drone attacks by terrorists and prevented nationalists from assaulting British fans" during the 2018 World Cup in Russia, according to Alec Luhn of the London TELEGRAPH. Alexander Bortnikov, the head of the federal security agency known as the FSB, "made the first claim" at a conference of int'l security and law enforcement officials. Bortnikov said, "Organs of the federal security service took all measures to detect and foil attempts by terrorists to use drones during the preparations and staging of large-scale sporting and political events, first and foremost during the World Cup held in Russia." Russian law enforcement "was also able to stop seven gangs of nationalist football hooligans who were planning to attack fans from Britain" as well as Poland, Argentina and Senegal, Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev said. He also said that special services "had uncovered 70 terrorist cells in Russia this year," including 38 cells of Islamic State fighters, and detained 777 terrorists and supporters. Russia revealed "almost no information about the security operation" around the World Cup and "even ordered a media blackout on crime reports." But it is known that tens of thousands of police were mobilized along with security service personnel, national guardsmen and "even traditional Cossack horse warriors" (TELEGRAPH, 11/7).
