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The President instructed Plenipotentiary Envoy in the Southern Federal District Vladimir Ustinov and Krasnodar Territory Governor Alexander Tkachev to conduct within two weeks an investigation of all the personnel who may be responsible for the situation leading to Kushchevskaya village murders.

Currently the Federal Security Service and the General Prosecutor’s Office Investigative Committee are conducting an official inquiry in the Krasnodar Territory.

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President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev: A grave crime has been committed in the territory recently. People have died, and what is particularly distressing, children have died. Unfortunately, this episode is not associated with the arrival of some travelling gang; it was committed by local criminals. Currently, the criminal investigation is ongoing and as far as I know the main culprits have been identified, arrested and will be brought to justice. However, I would like to discuss the consequences of these events with you.

I have adopted a number of measures aimed at strengthening discipline because what has occurred is clearly the result of a lack of discipline on the part of different authorities, including law enforcement agencies. I have dismissed the head of the regional Internal Affairs Department. On my instructions, the Prosecutor General has decided to dismiss the regional prosecutor and will take disciplinary action against a number of senior prosecutors working in the territory. Currently, the Investigative Committee and the Federal Security Service are conducting an official inquiry. All of them will report to me on the steps taken.

However, it is clear that the situation must also be reviewed in the sphere of public administration; I am referring to the regional authorities and the Plenipotentiary Envoy’s Office in the Southern Federal District.

What do I mean? It is absolutely clear that the gang responsible for the murders has been active in the area for several years. The question is why there was no reaction from the local government, regional administration and the Plenipotentiary Envoy’s Office? Perhaps the information did not reach them, which would mean they are inefficient and their work has to be improved radically. Or if the information reached them but somehow disappeared before action could be taken, then we need to understand where it disappeared and deal with the officials who concealed it.

Therefore, I instruct the Governor and the Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Southern Federal District to conduct an investigation of all officials responsible for monitoring the ongoing situation, all those who reported or did not report the facts. Please submit your recommendations based on the results of this investigation, first and foremost about the sanctions against all those involved if such persons are identified. I realise that most likely they will be found guilty of negligence or lack of discipline, but nevertheless you must make sure. You may find that more stringent measures are called for and will recommend to me that all those responsible for maintaining order but who did not do their jobs properly must be punished and even dismissed so that this situation is never repeated in any other part of the territory or district. I mean the situation where criminals terrorise an area over a number of years, and regional authorities do nothing about it. Either they have no information about it or if they do, this information does not reach the officials in charge.

I give you two weeks to look into it and submit your recommendations.