Dagestan Head Blames ‘Traitors’ in Ukraine for Anti-Israel Airport Mob
The disturbing scenes at an airport in the Russian republic of Dagestan in which rioters stormed onto runways in an apparent effort to find people arriving on a flight from Tel Aviv were orchestrated by provocateurs in Ukraine, according to the republic’s head. Sergey Melikov was quoted by Russian state media on Monday as saying the riots at Makhachkala airport on Sunday were coordinated through a Telegram channel run by “traitors” in Ukraine. Melikov said he had received “absolutely reliable, open information” that had led him to the conclusion. He later added that “Dagestanians empathize with the suffering of victims of the actions of unrighteous people and politicians and pray for peace in Palestine,” but condemned the riots as a violation of the law. According to Russia’s TASS news agency, more than 20 people were injured in the incident, including police officers, and 60 people in the mob were detained.
