The riots in Russia’s Republic of Dagestan on Sunday evening were “obviously” influenced by foreign forces, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. The official was referring to an angry crowd storming an international airport in search of “refugees from Israel” on board a flight.
“It’s clear that considering the TV footage showing the horror of what is happening in the Gaza Strip – the deaths of… children, elderly men, medics, [and] others – it’s easy for malevolent actors to abuse the situation, escalate it, [and] agitate the people,” Peskov told a news conference on Monday.
According to the Kremlin press secretary, President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly emphasised the importance of interfaith harmony in Russia. Peskov also stated that the Russian president will preside over a high-level meeting later.
Sunday’s events involved violence and anti-Jewish sentiment breaking out in Makhachkala, the capital of the Muslim-majority Republic of Dagestan. Local officials deployed anti-riot police to reestablish order at the airport.
According to the regional Health Ministry, ten people, including civilians and police officers, required medical attention following the clashes. Two people were reported to be in critical condition. Ten others were injured but did not require hospitalisation.
Sergey Melikov, the president of Dagestan, has condemned the rioters’ actions.
“There is no courage in mobbing unarmed people who did nothing wrong,” the official stated. “There is no honour in cursing strangers or reaching into their pockets to check their passports.” There is no good reason to attack women and children.”
Melikov later admitted to failings in the region’s monitoring and prevention of information attacks, while claiming that inflaming religious tensions was a “act of a scoundrel” and “foul game.”
