The Claim:
Russian Foreign Ministry representative Maria Zakharova and the Russian state TASS news agency have accused the Ukrainian government of organizing an antisemitic mob in the Russian Republic of Dagestan without any evidence.
The Facts:
There is absolutely no evidence of Ukrainian or any other Western government’s involvement in this antisemitic incident.
During the events on October 28-29, a violent mob targeted Jewish passengers arriving at Makhachkala International Airport in Dagestan from Israel. The following day, locals besieged a hotel in search of Jewish guests and later attacked the airport upon hearing news of a flight arriving from Tel Aviv. Passengers were compelled to seek refuge inside planes or hide within the airport premises to avoid harm.
Reports from local health authorities indicate that 20 people sustained injuries, with two in critical condition. According to the RIA news agency, nine police officers were also injured, two of whom required hospitalization. Thankfully, passengers on the plane were unharmed, as confirmed by security forces speaking to Reuters.
In the aftermath, sixty individuals were apprehended, as reported by RIA on Monday, with an additional 150 protesters identified in connection with the incident.
The Objective:
The Russian government has tried to deflect attention away from antisemitism in Russia and blame the Ukrainian government for this incident in efforts to discredit it and erode public support for Ukraine.
Since 2014, the Russian government has accused the Ukrainian government of supporting neo-Nazism, without any evidence. In February 2022, Vladimir Putin claimed that his army’s invasion of Ukraine was an operation designed to “de-Nazify” Ukraine. These false narratives are intended to incite hate towards Ukrainians and break down support for its efforts to restore its sovereignty and 1991 borders.
