Russia is on high alert. In Volgograd, there have been two suicide bomb explosions in as many days. Seventeen killed at a railway station on Sunday, and 14 dead on a bus a day later. <br /><br />The Sochi Games start 700 km away in just a month’s time. The biggest Russian holiday, the Russian New Year, is just around the corner. <br /><br />These explosions have been timed to make a big impression and cause maximum fear.<br /><br />On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev met in the Kremlin on Monday to discuss how best to help the injured and relatives of those killed.<br /><br />Meanwhile, Vladimir Stepanov, the Russian Deputy Emergency Minister, said they’re braced for another attack:<br /><br />“A state of emergency was introduced in Volgograd yesterday, so all the organisations and services are working on this. But, as I have already said, to ensure security during the holiday period, the entire emergencies ministry had been put on high alert,” said Stepanov.<br /><br />While terrorists may find it difficult to target to the tightly guarded Olympic facilities, these bombings show that they can hit other cities in southern Russia with ease.<br /><br />The International Olympics Committee said it was confident in Russia’s ability to protect the Games.
