Homeless in Moscow
© Alexey Malgavko/SputnikMoscow's homeless
Homeless people in Moscow will be taught how to counter terrorism and other threats to Russia's national security, a charity group said.

Due to their lifestyle, the homeless have an opportunity to timely detect suspicious people or objects and report them to the police, Ilya Kuskov, the head of the Assistant and Patron charity, told the m24.ru website.

Such alertness will allow them to save not only their own lives, but also those of other people, he added.

"A similar project was carried out recently in [the Siberian city of] Tyumen. We found this idea of applying it to Moscow interesting," Kuskov said.

The homeless will be lectured on counter terrorism activities during their stay in special shelters in the capital. The tutors will explain them how to identifying various explosive devices and where to report in case of discovering one. A legal specialist will be on hand to help the homeless people with more complicated terminology.

There's an estimated 13,000 homeless people in Moscow, with the city's authorities and charity organizations stepping up work to help them.

In April, Moscow's Labour and Social Protection Department conducted a job fair for the homeless, giving out advice and evaluating their skills through testing.

Assistant and Patron has also been publishing yearly pocket-sized guide books for the homeless with information on where to get help.