The United States has denied Vladimir Putin’s claim that “Western special services” were behind an anti-Israel protest at Dagestan airport.
In a televised address on Monday, Putin said the incident was part of an attempt to spread “chaos” across Russia. It comes after hundreds stormed the Makhachkala airport after a flight arrived from Tel Aviv, reports the BBC.
The crowd waved Palestinian flags and chanted antisemitic slogans. The Dagestan area has a largely Muslim population.
The protest was sparked by the scenes in Gaza, where tensions have heightened after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel just over three weeks ago. Putin said: “The events in Makhachkala last night were instigated through social networks, not least from Ukraine, by the hands of agents of Western special services.
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“Who is organising the deadly chaos and who benefits from it today, in my opinion, has already become obvious.
“It is the current ruling elites of the US and their satellites who are the main beneficiaries of world instability.”
The governor of Dagestan, Sergei Melikov, meanwhile claimed the protest came from “the territory of Ukraine by traitors”. The protest is thought to have spread after pro-Islamist Telegram channel Morning Dagestan posted details of the flight, urging people to “meet the unexpected visitors”.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned the airport riot. While US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said it was “classic Russian rhetoric”.
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He said: “When something goes bad in your country, you blame somebody else. The West had nothing to do with this. This is just hate, bigotry and intimidation, pure and simple.”
Videos on social media from the airport showed a large crowd of people storming the terminal. They forced open the door and spilled out onto the runway.
Some were allegedly stopping cars outside and demanding to see the passengers’ documents in an apparent search for Israeli passports. Russian health officials have since claimed 20 people were injured including two people left in a critical condition.
A statement from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israeli government viewed “with utmost gravity attempts to harm Israeli citizens and Jews anywhere”.
“Israel expects the Russian legal authorities to safeguard the well-being of all Israeli citizens and Jews wherever they are and to take strong action against the rioters,” it said.
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