The head of Russia's domestic security agency said the United States, Georgia, and several Western European countries helped prevent terrorist attacks during last year's Winter Olympics.
The games were held in Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi amid high concern that insurgents from nearby restive Caucasus republics including Chechnya were planning attacks. Russia imposed exceptionally heavy security measures that were nicknamed the "ring of steel" around Sochi.
Nikolai Bortnikov, head of the FSB security service, said on July 30 that during the games and preparations for them, "we succeeded together with our partners from many governments, primarily France, Germany, Austria, the USA, and Georgia, in preventing an array of attacks against Olympic facilities that were being prepared."
Bortnikov did not elaborate in comments to reporters after a meeting of security agencies in Yaroslavl, Russia.
Bortnikov said collaboration between the security services of Russian and Western countries also helped prevent incidents at the recent European Games held in Azerbaijan.
He said he hopes to draw on the same arrangements to ensure security at the 2018 World Cup events to be held in Russia.
