ST. PETERSBURG, Russia, Sept. 24 (UPI) -- An exercise simulating a terrorist attack is under way near St. Petersburg, Russia, testing the emergency response capabilities of authorities in the region.
The two-day exercise, which began Wednesday at a complex of the Russian oil company LUKoil, was designed to simulate a terrorist attack on critical energy infrastructure in Russia.
Officials say the exercise, being observed by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's counter-terrorism unit, is part of an effort to equip security authorities with the readiness to protect vital energy infrastructure, the OSCE reported.
"Energy is the glue that holds the world economies together," Raphael Perl, head of the OSCE Action against Terrorism Unit, said in a statement.
"We all have an interest in the security of energy infrastructure. Terrorists know this, and increasingly terrorist groups seek to target the energy sector both in their rhetoric and by physical attacks. To be effective, security measures to protect energy infrastructures need to be tested and updated."
