Outrage in Moscow

Russia is renowned as a country with rampant contradictions. It is a modern-day jumble with extremely vast geographical area, more than 193 ethnic groups with some 100 to 150 minority languages spoken in the length and breadth of the country.

It is also recognised that the main hindrance in harmonising the country is its form of government that is dictatorial in content that does not let representative practices to prevail with the result that Russia is always considered a politically unstable state. Russia traditionally is embroiled in some kind of conflict with its neighbours particularly after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Its recent conflict with Ukraine has exposed many of its fault lines and it finds itself in isolation within the region. Its head of the state, Vladimir Putin has recently won another highly disputed election and appears determined to hold on to power as long as is possible.

Russia also has a soft underbelly that consists of people from Central Asia, particularly Muslims, that has not gelled properly into the Russian national matrix and frequently causes problems.

The recent outrage witnessed in Moscow in which 137 people were killed is widely believed to have been committed by the Islamic State (IS) group that has also accepted its responsibility.

It is reported that Amaq, the IS media outlet, posted an image of the four masked men they claimed were involved in the assault. The group also released highly graphic footage of the attack showing one of the gunmen opening fire on people.

In an unprecedented occurrence, rated to be deadliest of its kind for nearly twenty years, gunmen entered Crocus City Hall in Moscow that was packed with audience numbering 6200 people attending a rock concert by veteran band Picnic and fired indiscriminately before setting it on fire.

More than 137 people lost their lives along with more than 140 people getting injured. It was reported that the US National Security Council warned Russia of a potential IS attack on large gatherings including concerts, in Moscow earlier this month but Russia dismissed it as propaganda and considered it an attempt by America to meddle in recent Russian presidential election.

It was reported that during the attack huge plumes of smoke filled the sky coming from the concert hall and a fire was later seen engulfing the hall’s roof and facade with around a third of the building been set alight. Other reports spoke of explosions that were so powerful that they shattered the glass on the top two floors of the structure.

It was also reported that special Russian force units stormed the concert hall with helicopters hovering overhead. The Russian Investigative Committee said that the attackers used flammable liquid to set fire to sections of the concert hall and that the deaths of the victims were caused by gunshot wounds and poisoning by combustible material.

It is now known that four suspects were charged with committing acts of terrorism for their alleged role in the shooting and are in official custody. Responsibility was officially claimed by the Afghan branch of ISIL, also known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province. Four suspects, all Tajikistani nationals, have since been arrested and they have been identified as Dalerdzhon Barotovich Mirzoyev, Saidakrami Murodali Rachabalizoda, Shamsidin Fariduni and Muhammadsobir Fayzov. Mirzoyev, a Tajik national, is reported to have pleaded guilty to all charges. Earlier in March, another cell of the organisation plotting to attack a synagogue was liquidated during a gun battle in Moscow.

It was reported that after the identity of the attackers was revealed, some Russians channelled their anger in an entirely different direction. Millions of migrant workers from Central Asia reside in Russia who routinely face harassment from law enforcement agencies and are discriminated against. Many recollect that after a bombing on St Petersburg metro in 2017 carried out by an ethnic Uzbek hundreds of Central Asians were detained or deported. After this recent attack police have started to raid places hosting migrant workers while passengers have refused to be picked up by Tajik taxi drivers.

As was expected the Russian government is promoting the idea that somehow Ukraine was behind the brutal attack but Ukraine has dismissed such insinuations. Nevertheless, the Russians officialdom is insisting that it was not the ISIS but hohli, a pejorative term used for Ukrainians.

There are growing fears that the Russian blame game may intensify conflict with Ukraine that may have serious repercussions for the region that is already a hotbed of tensions with NATO and EU forces arrayed against Russia. However, voices from inside the country, particularly from the independent media have pointed out that Putin is pursuing wrong policies and is fighting the wrong people.

They emphasise that Putin is directly responsible for starting wars with Russia’s neighbours in 2014 and 2022 that has badly drained the resources required to protect the Russian people.