Terror Attack in Moscow Region is Not an Isolated Incident!
Mariya Chukhnova
Terrorism in Russia, with such a high number of casualties and wounded, is not a phenomenon.
For over two decades, we have been witnessing so many events that nothing is surprising to hear about the music hall shooting in the Moscow region.
Let’s take a look at a few of the most infamous acts that happened under Putin’s presidency and his desire for bloody power through a bloody war.
A series of explosions occurred in apartment buildings on September 4-16, 1999, in three Russian cities, including Moscow, resulting in 307 casualties and over 1700 wounded (“Ryazan sugar”). These infamous events were false flag operations and served as a pretext for Russia to invade Chechnya for the second time.
“For some reason, this event remains one of the most memorable for me. Maybe because it was broadcast on every channel. I clearly remember seeing yellow buses piled up with bodies and seeing the bodies being carried and thrown into those buses in a sloppy and disrespectful manner. At the time, I couldn’t understand why such cruelty was being inflicted on those people who already suffered so much. It was only later that I learned that the high casualty count was a result of an absurd operation by unprepared and unqualified law enforcement.”
The Beslan School Siege took place from September 1 to 3, 2004. It resulted in 334 casualties and left at least 800 wounded. Infamous negotiation and storm capabilities of Russian forces during the crisis situation, coupled with poor healthcare infrastructure in cities like NOT Moscow or Saint Petersburg, dramatically increased the number of casualties. To your knowledge, there were 1,100+ hostages.
The Nord Ost (“Dubrovka terror”) incident occurred from October 23 to 26, 2002, resulting in casualties ranging from 130 to 147 and leaving 700 wounded. The total number of hostages held was 916.
For some reason, this event remains one of the most memorable for me. Maybe because it was broadcast on every channel. I clearly remember seeing yellow buses piled up with bodies and seeing the bodies being carried and thrown into those buses in a sloppy and disrespectful manner.
At the time, I couldn’t understand why such cruelty was being inflicted on those people who already suffered so much. It was only later that I learned that the high casualty count was a result of an absurd operation by unprepared and unqualified law enforcement.
With the most recent attack, I was genuinely surprised to hear that ISIS-K claimed responsibility. However, regardless of who committed this, Russia will use it to its advantage. We should expect Russian authorities to do their best to put the blame on Ukraine to justify ongoing mobilization, probably another airstrike on civilian infrastructure, or any other matter relating to the war in Ukraine.
This sequence of terrorists’ attacks and the authorities’ response in Russia show that consequences and human toll are not of concern by Russian government.
The question is – for how long do Russian citizens are going to tolerate this and participate in this?23-03-2024
Mariya Chukhnova, International Security Subject Matter Expert, Region – Eastern Europe
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