Russia's Own Antisemitic Propaganda Caused Dagestan Riots: Ukraine

A Ukrainian official on Monday blamed the Kremlin's tightly controlled propaganda for the antisemitic riots that broke out at Russia's Makhachkala airport in the predominantly Muslim republic of Dagestan.

"The events in Makhachkala reflect the deep-rooted antisemitism of Russian elites and society," Oleg Nikolenko, spokesperson of Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, wrote on Facebook.

Videos have been circulating on social media that show hundreds of angry rioters storming onto the landing field at the airport in Makhachkala late Sunday. Members of the mob carried Palestinian flags and were reportedly hunting for Israeli passengers from a flight that had landed from Tel Aviv.

Some of the rioters climbed onto the roof and wings of the aircraft, which belongs to Russian carrier Red Wings. Police detained some 60 rioters at the airport, and the Baza Telegram channel, which has ties to Russia's security services, reported that about 1,500 people took part in the incident.

Nikolenko cited the messaging put forth by Kremlin-controlled media as one of the main culprits behind the antisemitic riots.

"Threats to 'take care of the Jews' are a consequence of the work of Russian state propaganda, which for decades cultivated a feeling of hatred for other peoples amongst Russians," Nikolenko wrote.

He added: "Let me remind you that not so long ago, President [Vladimir] Putin and Foreign Minister [Sergei] Lavrov made offensive antisemitic statements."

Newsweek reached out to the foreign ministries of Ukraine and Russia for comment via email on Monday.

The Kremlin, however, accused Ukraine of provoking unrest in Dagestan that led to the violence at the Makhachkala airport, which Dagestan's Health Ministry said resulted in more than 20 people being injured.

"It is well known and obvious that yesterday's events [at] Makhachkala airport are largely the result of external interference," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Monday, though he offered no evidence to support his accusations.

Peskov also announced Putin will hold a meeting on Monday evening with his top advisers to discuss "the West's attempts to use the events in the Middle East to split Russian society."

The Kremlin spokesman said the meeting will be attended by Lavrov, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev and heads of law enforcement agencies.

Prior to Peskov's statement, Sergei Melikov—head of the Dagestan region—claimed "pro-Ukrainian Telegram channels" had been working "to destabilize the situation" in the republic.

Nikolenko dismissed these accusations, calling it "an attempt to transfer responsibility from a sick head to a healthy one."

"We are deeply convinced that the international community must respond decisively to expressions of racial hatred in Russia and elsewhere in the world," he said.

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