Russia’s Foreign Ministry is planning to beef up protection of its diplomatic missions in trouble spots throughout the world, Izvestia reported on Tuesday.
The newspaper claims to have a copy of a new draft policy document, covering the period through 2020, that is geared to addressing heightened security concerns in a number of regions resulting from unrest, natural and man-made disasters, terrorism, drug trafficking and organized crime.
The draft program suggests involving local private security firms in the protection of residential complexes, diplomatic missions, consular offices or other official representation abroad. Noting that personnel at the UN and leading Western embassies routinely travel in armored cars, it also proposes buying body armor and other individual protection equipment for Foreign Ministry staff employed in “hot spots.”
The report comes after the killing of U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens along with three colleagues when rioters attacked the U.S. consulate in the Libyan city of Benghazi on September 11.