Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Ukraine and the West of instigating the anti-Israel riot at Dagestan’s Makhachkala airport on Sunday evening, a claim that the US has dismissed as absurd. Security forces have detained over 80 people following the incident, in which rioters in the Muslim-majority region took over the runway in an attempt to surround a plane arriving from Israel.
Putin stated in a televised meeting with high-ranking members of his Security Council that the events in Makhachkala were organized through social networks, with involvement from agents of Western special services, particularly Ukraine. He also asserted that there were attempts to destabilize Russian society and blamed the US for sowing instability in the Middle East. Putin claimed that the current ruling elites of the US and their allies are the primary beneficiaries of global instability.
Emphasizing the need to protect “inter-religious harmony,” Putin urged Russian law enforcement to take decisive action in response to the riot. It is worth noting that Moscow frequently attributes domestic unrest to external, typically Western, influences.
The US State Department spokesman, Matthew Miller, called Putin’s assertion that Ukraine was responsible for the riot absurd. He urged Russian authorities to publicly condemn the violent protests, hold those involved accountable, and ensure the safety of Israelis and Jews in Russia.
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