Moscow Mayor Vows to Ensure City-Wide Security During 2018 FIFA World Cup

Moscow’s administration will ensure top security across the entire city as well as sports facilities during the upcoming 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin told Sputnik.

«In short, all systems involved in hosting the World Cup and the Confederations Cup are being created under maximum security requirements. This applies to fan screening, stadium access, public transport, hotels and ambulances,» Sobyanin said.

The Russian capital will use the experience gained by federal authorities when ensuring security at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi as well as its own experience in organizing events for hundreds of thousands of people, he added.

«One should not get the impression that we will employ all resources at sports facilities while everything else will be neglected. It will be just the opposite. Special arrangements to ensure security at sports facilities will complement the work of Moscow’s police, special forces, volunteers, fire services and other organizations which are daily engaged in securing Moscow,» the mayor explained.

The 2017 Confederations Cup will be held in Russia in June and July. The once-in-four-years event will bring together the national teams of Australia, Cameroon, Chile, Germany, Mexico, New Zealand, Portugal and Russia. FIFA started to sell tickets for the Confederations Cup earlier in April.
Russia will also host its first ever Football World Cup on June 14 — July 14 next year. The matches will be held in several major cities, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Yekaterinburg, Sochi, Rostov-on-Don and others.