Russia to form air defense force securing Sochi Olympics

MOSCOW - Russia is going to form an air defense force to ensure the security of the Sochi Olympics, a military official said Monday.

The special force, to be set up ahead of the 2014 winter games, will provide security on all levels including the Black Sea areas, Air Defense Commander Andrei Yudin told reporters in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don.

The force will include anti-aircraft missile systems and close-range launchers, according to the official.

Though the air defense systems in the Caucasus region were fully operative, the defense force need to do more to ensure the security during the Olympic period, Yudin told Interfax news agency.

The Sochi Winter Olympics will take place from Feb 7-23, 2014. President Vladimir Putin said previously preparations for the games were "right on course as scheduled."

Russian Federal Security Service agents in May seized ten weaponry caches in Abkhazia, including explosives, ammunition and air defense missile systems for terrorist acts against the games.