Pressure on Moscow is increasing, with demands to protect the Jewish community of the country after an enraged mob stormed an airport in the Russian republic of Dagestan on Sunday, reportedly looking for passengers arriving on a flight from Tel Aviv.
Israel condemned the incident and called on Russia to "protect the well-being of all Israeli citizens and Jews wherever they may be and take decisive action against the participants in the riots."
Russia's aviation agency, Rosaviation, stated that the incident is under control, and 60 individuals have been detained. The airport in Makhachkala remains closed as the investigation continues.
Russia, which is an ally of Israel's sworn enemy, Iran, finds itself in an uncomfortable position in the Middle East. It has had constructive relations with Israel, but divided loyalties have strained relations since Israel declared war on the Iran-backed Hamas group.
44 MINUTES AGO Ukraine Denies Involvement in Dagestan Airport Unrest Ukraine's presidential advisor, Mikhail Podolyak, on Monday refuted Russia's accusations that Ukraine was involved in the anti-Israeli unrest in the Russian Republic of Dagestan over the weekend.
"The storm is already raging," commented Podolyak, formerly known as Twitter, adding that the "preconditions" for the unrest in Dagestan—during which a mob of pro-Palestinian protesters stormed the airport, some chanting anti-Semitic slogans and reportedly searching for Jewish passengers from a Tel Aviv flight—were "formed over decades of incorrect behavior."
"Pseudo-assimilationist" policies, tolerance for the lawless behavior of aggressive regimes violating global rules, and an apparent alignment with Russian plans to "change the world order" have led to today's grim consequences and tragedies," he said.
Podolyak's comments came after Russia accused the West and Ukraine of organizing the unrest in Dagestan and attempting to divide Russian society, without presenting any evidence to support its claims. Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to meet with high-ranking officials on Monday evening to discuss the incident in Dagestan.
— Holly Ellyatt
2 HOURS AGO Russia Builds Up Forces Near Bakhmut and Shifts From Defensive Position Russia has significantly concentrated its forces around the destroyed city of Bakhmut in the east and shifted its troops from a defensive position to "active actions," Ukrainian military commander said on Monday.
In May, Russia captured Bakhmut, the site of the bloodiest battles of the 20-month war. Since June, Ukraine has been on the counteroffensive, trying to regain territory in the south and east, including the city.
″In the Bakhmut area, the enemy has significantly strengthened its grouping and switched from defense to active actions," wrote General Alexander Syrsky, Commander of the Ground Forces, in a Telegram messenger.
He described the situation in the east as complicated, as Russian forces are particularly active near the Ukrainian-held city of Kupyansk in the northeast of the country, where, he said, Russian forces were attempting to advance on several fronts simultaneously.
According to him, Russian forces have suffered significant losses. Reuters could not independently verify this claim or reports of fighting.
In its daily report on the fighting, Ukraine's general staff said Russian forces continued their attempts to regain control of Andriivka, south of Bakhmut, which Kyiv's forces said they retook in September.
It said Ukrainian forces continued their own assault operations south of Bakhmut, inflicting casualties in personnel and equipment. In recent weeks, Russia has also sought to encircle and capture the city of Avdiivka in the east of the country.
