Instead of facing a growing threat from Islamist militants, Russia will try to pin the blame on Ukraine.
On June 23, 2024, a series of deadly terror attacks shook the region of Dagestan in Southern Russia. Gunmen, clad in black, surrounded both a synagogue and an Orthodox church in the ancient city of Derbent, located along the Caspian Sea. They opened fire with assault rifles, killing several police officers who had been guarding the Kele-Numaz synagogue, one of the oldest Jewish communities in Russia. The attackers set the synagogue on fire using Molotov cocktails and murdered Father Nikolai Kotelnikov, a 66-year-old priest, by slitting his throat at the Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin.
Simultaneously, another group of attackers struck the Orthodox Cathedral of the Assumption in the regional capital, Makhachkala, over 100 kilometers away. They also targeted the city’s synagogue and a nearby police patrol. The priests inside the cathedral had to lock themselves in until tactical units arrived.
These violent acts are believed to have been committed by Islamist militants, yet it is expected that the Kremlin will attempt to shift the blame away from the growing threat of domestic terrorism and place it on Ukraine, framing the attacks as part of a broader Ukrainian strategy to destabilize Russia.
This response aligns with Russia’s ongoing narrative, seeking to portray Ukraine and its supporters as a constant threat to Russia’s internal security, even as the country grapples with its own growing challenges related to extremist violence. By framing the terror attacks through the lens of foreign influence, particularly from Ukraine, the Kremlin aims to divert attention from its inability to control rising Islamist militancy within its own borders.
The situation in Dagestan highlights the increasing tensions in the North Caucasus, where terrorist attacks have been rising in recent years. While the Kremlin has blamed external actors for fueling instability, it remains unclear how successful this strategy will be in the long term, given the complex and homegrown nature of the threat Russia now faces.
