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TRAVEL ADVISORY

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TERRORISM RISK

LIVE TRAVEL ADVISORY • 03 APRIL 2017

Potential Terror Incident in St.

Petersburg.

Terrorism: At about 1430 local time (1130 GMT), an explosion occurred on the subway of downtown St. Petersburg. The blast

reportedly occurred on a train as it was pulling out of Sennaya Ploshchad station. While it is unclear what caused the explosion,

local officials have suggested it was caused by explosive material placed in the carriage, which perhaps contained shrapnel.

Russia’s general prosecutor has described the event as a terror attack. President Putin, who was at the Constantine Palace (the

president’s official residence in St. Petersburg) in the city for an unrelated reason, has stated that the government has refused to

KEY POINTS

• A potential terror attack has occurred on the subway of St Petersburg, Russia’s second largest city.

• All stations of the St Petersburg metro system have now been closed and a second unexploded bomb has been

deactivated.

• Russian officials have reported that one blast occurred on a train at Sennaya Ploshchad station, killing ten.

SITUATIONAL SUMMARY

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TERRORISM RISK

LIVE TRAVEL ADVISORY • 03 APRIL 2017

rule out any potential causes. The spokesperson for the St Petersburg Governor’s office has reported that at least ten people have

been killed with around another 50 injuries also having occurred. A second bomb, found on the city’s subway system, has also

reportedly been deactivated. No group has claimed responsibility at the time of writing.

In Russia’s post-Soviet history there have been a number of high-profile terror attacks. While most of the terror threat has been

contained in the North Caucuses, there have been cases of terrorism in both Moscow and St Petersburg, Russia ’s two largest

cities. In 2009, for example, a bomb exploded under a high-speed train which had been travelling between the two cities, killing 28

people. The largest major attack outside of the North Caucuses region was a suicide bombing attack at Domodedovo Airport in

January 2011.

Russia has also had a number of its citizens leave to join up with Islamic State. If this event does prove to be terrorist in nature,

then it could come as retribution for Russia’s role in supporting President Assad against Islamic State in Syria. The Sinai (Egypt)

branch of Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack which caused the deaths of all those aboard Metrojet Flight 9268, en

route to St Petersburg from Sharm el Sheikh in 2015. Islamic State propaganda has repeatedly called for attacks on Russian

targets. The Russian government has previously stated that attacks on the country’s travel infrastructure, planned by Islamic State

operatives, have been thwarted.

SECURITY ADVICE

Travel Information: Travellers should avoid the area of Sennaya Ploshchad station as emergency services carry out their duties;

a number of roads in the area have also been closed. Local officials have terminated travel on the entire metro system in the city

and it is unclear when it is expected to be reopened. Travellers who planned to use the metro system are strongly advised to

seek another form of transport. Travellers are also advised of the strong potential for long delays to commuter travel. It is

advisable to delay travel if possible, in order to avoid this rush. Travellers should also be advised that St Petersburg’s main

airport, Pulkovo, has also been closed

Security Implications: The Moscow metro system has announced it was taking additional security measures but what this entails

is unclear. If Russia’s post-Soviet history repeats itself, the government is set to seriously step up its security operations. Putin

was the key figure in breaking the threat of Chechen rebels, brutally crushing their resistance. Further restrictive measures can

be expected across Russia in the short and longer term. It is unclear if this event marks the beginning of a potential rise in terror

attacks across Russia.

In general, travellers are advised to employ a security-trained driver for their journeys in most areas of Russia. For certain places

this advised security level may be higher. Travellers should also consider employing travel-tracking technology with an

intelligence platform for the duration of their stay in the country.

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