Russia's anti-terrorist committee warned in early November that the threat of attacks by terrorists on hydroelectric power plants in southern Russia is a 'real' one, according to the RIA Novosti news agency.

The agency reported Nikolai Patrushev, head of the Federal Security Service (FSB), as saying: 'The antiterrorist committee has information about terrorist leaders planning to launch attacks on hydro power facilities in the Ryazan and Saratov regions, and in Daghestan.' Patrushev ordered local anti-terrorist committees to take urgent measures to protect the facilities.

Recent inspections of hydroelectric power plants had revealed inadequate security measures, making these plants easy targets for terrorists, according to RIA Novosti.