Russia

Putin on Situation in Dagestan: US ‘Geopolitical Puppeteers’ Trying to Divide Russia From Within

Russia's president has given an address on the situation in Dagestan in the wake of Sunday’s unrest at the Makhachkala Airport, which crowds of rioters attempted to storm after the landing of a passenger plane coming from Tel Aviv.
Sputnik
President Vladimir Putin has given his assessment on Sunday's unrest in Dagestan, saying that it was sparked by social media channels linked to Ukraine and Western intelligence services seeking to take advantage of the crisis in the Middle East.

"The events in Makhachkala last night were orchestrated, including through social media, not least from the territory of Ukraine. By the hands of Western intelligence agencies," the president said, speaking at a meeting with the heads of Russian law enforcement on Monday.

"I'm not certain that Kiev's curators know what their charges are doing by inciting pogroms in Russia," Putin added, pointing to the irony of the fact that Washington and its allies have supported a regime in Ukraine which has openly glorified Nazis and their collaborators while simultaneously touting their support for Israel.
Citing attempts by the West to destabilize and divide Russia's multiethnic and multiconfessional society using informational, technological and psychological aggression, Putin said this is now being done by trying to take advantage of public anger over the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.

"We remember how the current round of the Middle East crisis began, with a terrorist attack against Israeli civilians and people from other countries on the territory of this state. But we also see that instead of punishing terrorists, revenge has unfortunately been taken" on the people of Gaza "on the principle of collective responsibility."

"When you look at the images of bloodied, dead children, the suffering of the elderly, the death of doctors, your fists clench, but emotions are unacceptable," Putin said.

The US and its allies are the "main beneficiaries of global instability," according to the president, who said the chaos sown in Ukraine, Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere is used to "deter and destabilize" their rivals seeking to put an end to the unipolar world order, including Russia.

"They don't need a lasting peace in the Holy Land, they need constant chaos in the Middle East, so they have done their best to discredit those countries which insist on an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, insist on stopping the bloodshed, and which are ready to contribute to resolving the crisis. Even the United Nations, the clearly expressed position of the international community is subjected to attacks, genuine persecution and attempts to discredit it," Putin said.

"We have stated and continue to state our position openly, and it does not change from year to year: the key to resolving the conflict is the creation of a sovereign, independent Palestinian state, a full-fledged Palestinian state," he added.
The president called on Russian law enforcement and regional leaders to take firm, timely and clear actions aimed at protecting the constitutional order, as well as the rights and freedoms of citizens. Timely action is necessary to preserve interethnic and interreligious harmony, he stressed.

Unrest in Dagestan

A total of 83 people have been detained in the Russian Caucasus region of Dagestan after their participation in the riots at the Makhachkala Airport on Sunday. The airport was shut down for inbound and outbound flights after an angry mob swarmed the airport building and the tarmac, spurred on by provocateurs on social media claiming the plane was packed with "Jewish refugees" seeking to escape the Palestine-Israel conflict and to settle in their region.
Photos and videos published to social media showed dozens of people storming the ramp of the Red Wings passenger plane which arrived in Makhachkala from Tel Aviv.
Russia
What is Known So Far About Riots at Dagestan Airport
Russian law enforcement responded swiftly, sending riot gear-clad officers to the airport. At least 20 people, including six police officers, sustained injuries in the clashes, with two people now in extremely serious condition, according to local health authorities.
Supreme Mufti of Dagestan Sheikh Akhmad Afandi took to social media to urge for calm. "Regarding today’s events, I sincerely believe you are mistaken, this issue cannot be resolved in such a way... Maximum patience and calm," he urged.
A criminal probe has been launched into the incident, with over 150 active participants in the riots identified.
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