17 Oct 2019 21:13

U.S. recently notified Russia of terrorist attacks being plotted in Russian territory - FSB chief Bortnikov

SOCHI. Oct 17 (Interfax) - Russian and U.S. special services are maintaining working contacts at the proper level regardless of the political situation, and Russia is grateful for operational information it receives from the United States, Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) Director Alexander Bortnikov said.

"We have always had working contacts with the Americans regardless of the situation existing in political relations between our countries," Bortnikov told journalists on Thursday.

"Just recently, American special services provided Russia with information on particular individuals and plans to commit attacks in our country's territory," he said.

"We are thankful to our counterparts for the information they share with us," Bortnikov said.

He also cited an exchange of information between Russia and the U.S. on a planned terrorist attack at the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg in 2017 and a joint investigation into the Boston Marathon bombing as examples of collaboration between the countries.

"We have always stressed that the American side appropriately approached that: politics will be politics, but work at the level of direct implementers should go permanently, as too much depends on this," Bortnikov said.

Russian special services are maintaining working contact at the level of experts and heads of special units at the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, he said.