Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov without giving basic evidence said, “It is well known and obvious that yesterday’s events [at] Makhachkala airport are largely the result of external interference.”
It is pertinent to mention that the riots erupted in Russia’s predominantly Muslim republic.
Peskov echoed earlier remarks from the head of Russia’s southern Dagestan region, Sergei Melikov, who called the riots an “attempt to destabilize the situation” in the republic, and claimed the unrest was supervised from abroad, including through “pro-Ukrainian Telegram channels.”
Peskov added that President Vladimir Putin will hold a meeting with his top advisers on Monday to discuss “the West’s attempts to use the events in the Middle East to split Russian society.”
Russia: Mob storms Dagestan airport searches for Jewish passengers
Several videos are being circulated on social media where the rioters were seen rushing towards the landing field of the airport in Dagestan’s capital Makhachkala on Sunday. The rioters were holding posters with the inscriptions “Child killers have no place in Dagestan” and “We are against Jewish refugees,” the Baza Telegram channel, which is linked to Russia’s security services, reported.
According to the US media outlet, around 20 people were injured in the riot, and dozens of people were arrested. The regional police released a statement stating that on Sunday, a group of “people provoked mass riots on the territory of the Makhachkala International Airport named after Amet-Khan Sultan.”
“As a result of measures taken by employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Dagestan, in cooperation with other law enforcement agencies, these violations were suppressed,” the statement read.
The police further stated that over 150 active participants in the riots were identified and 60 of them were detained. All of them were taken to territorial police departments for further investigation.
(With inputs from agencies)
