What is Known So Far About Riots at Dagestan Airport

An airport in the Russian city of Makhachkala, Republic of Dagestan, was shut down for inbound and outbound flights on Sunday after a crowd swarmed the tarmac, spurred on by provocations generated by foreign-based Telegram channels. Police swiftly took the situation under control, the Dagestan government said, with criminal probes launched.

Riots at the Makhachkala airport on Sunday had been "operated" from Ukraine, head of the Republic of Dagestan, Sergey Melikov, has stated.

Melikov called what happened at the airport a gross violation of the law, adding that none of those culpable will escape responsibility.

“Criminal cases have been opened in connection with a number of facts that prompted yesterday's events, and all those responsible for the situation will be called to account. There will be no forgiveness for anyone... Numerous facts have been registered, there is photo and video evidence, so no one will escape accountability,” Melikov told the press.

Sputnik looks at what is known so far about the incident at the airport.

Swarming Mob

Hundreds of locals began to mass outside Makhachkala Airport servicing the capital of the Muslim-majority Republic of Dagestan late on Sunday. The unauthorized gathering was reportedly prompted by claims circulating on the Internet of a flight set to arrive from Tel Aviv carrying “Jewish refugees” amid the ongoing Palestine-Israel conflict.

After scuffles with airport police, the mob broke through the doors of the terminal, forcing its way inside. The rioters then streamed out onto the runway. Videos circulating on social media showed dozens of people storming the ramp after a Red Wings passenger plane from Tel Aviv, Israel landed at the airport.

Swift Law Enforcement Response

After reports of the airport breach, in a swift response, dozens of law enforcement vehicles arrived at the scene. Riot-gear-clad police entered the airport, detaining multiple protesters, and promptly taking the situation under control.

Supreme Mufti of Dagestan Sheikh Akhmad Afandi addressed the rioters on Telegram, urging for calm and an end to the fracas.

“Regarding today’s events, I sincerely believe you are mistaken, this issue cannot be resolved in such a way... Maximum patience and calm,” the mufti urged in a video message.

Regional authorities soon announced that the situation was under control, and Russia's federal aviation agency Rosaviatsiya reported that the airfield had been cleared of unauthorized people. An alarm sounded at the airport, after which people began to disperse and the air harbor was closed for inbound and outbound traffic. It was subsequently announced that the airport would remain provisionally closed for inbound flights until 3 a.m. (00:00 GMT) on November 6. All planes that were due to land at the airport were diverted to alternate airfields.

The Dagestan authorities also said they would limit traffic on the highway leading to the airport.

Some 20 people, including at least six police officers, sustained injuries in clashes at the airport.

"Medical personnel of the republican hospitals are providing assistance to 10 injured people … Both police officers and civilians received moderate and severe injuries. Two people are in extremely serious condition," the regional department of the Health Ministry said on Telegram.

Criminal Probe Launched

More than 150 active participants in the airport riots have been identified, 60 of them have been detained and taken to regional police departments for further investigation, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Dagestan stated on Telegram.

A criminal probe into the organization of mass rioting has been launched, the local directorate of the Russian Interior Ministry said. For those responsible, the offense incurs heavy penalties, including the possibility of landing behind bars for up to 15 years. The directorate warned that criminal probes could be opened into individuals found to have been making hateful racially- and religiously-charged public remarks.

The Dagestan government called an emergency meeting in response to the events at the airport and the broader "socio-political situation in Dagestan."

Governor Melikov also offered assurances that Makhachkala Airport would resume routine operations within two to three days.

Attempts to Sow Discord

Governor Melikov later stated that while the people of Dagestan "empathize" with those suffering as a result of the Palestine-Israel conflict, what happened at the air transport hub was a gross violation of the law. He called on the residents of the republic to resist being baited by provocations conceived by destructive extremist resources administered by "enemies of Russia," seeking to split Russian society.

Sergey Melikov said the unrest in Dagestan appeared to have been instigated by the Utro Dagestan ("Dagestan Morning") Telegram channel - exposed by Russian officials as a project of the Ukrainian intelligence services conceived to stir unrest in Russia.

The storming of the airport, which comes in the wake of unauthorized pro-Palestinian protests that broke out across Dagestan over the weekend, prompted Russia's chief rabbi, Berl Lazar, to call on all confessions to resist attempts to sow discord among the peoples of Russia.

The events at Makhachkala Airport were aimed at inciting ethnic hatred in order to destabilize civil peace in Russia, said Russian Ombudswoman Tatyana Moskalkova.

Sergey Menyailo, the head of the Russian Republic of North Ossetia, which neighbors Dagestan, called what happened in Makhachkala a provocation planned from abroad.

Meanwhile, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and National Security Council stated that they were monitoring the events unfolding in Dagestan.

"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 and against the wild incitement being directed against Jews and Israelis," they said in a joint statement.