FSB Director and Chairman of the National Anti-Terrorism Committee (NAC) Alexander Bortnikov claims that more than 2,500 armed "militants" have been killed in the North Caucasus since 2006, and approximately 5,000 of their accomplices have been detained.

In an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Bortnikov said that many of those killed allegedly received training abroad. He also boasted of successes in preventive work: more than 3,000 children have returned to education in the North Caucasus Federal District. However, Bortnikov noted that some operations by Russian security forces are not made public.

Previously, the head of the FSB also noted the growing level of terrorist threats. According to him, these threats are linked to the sabotage and terrorist war waged by Ukrainian special services with the support of Western countries. Bortnikov emphasized that trained Ukrainian security forces are allegedly being deployed to Russian territory.

The FSB director's statements can neither be confirmed nor refuted, as there is no evidence for them. Therefore, one can only take his word for it or not.