Putin will hold a meeting on the situation in Dagestan

Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a large meeting on the evening of October 30 to discuss attempts by Western countries to influence the situation inside Russia through the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. This was stated by presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov.

“Putin plans to hold a large representative meeting today at approximately 19:00 and discuss the West’s attempts to use events in the Middle East to split Russian society. A detailed conversation will take place,” he said.

Peskov also called the unrest at Makhachkala airport the result of outside interference. “It is well known and obvious that yesterday’s events around the Makhachkala airport are largely the result of outside interference, including information influence from outside,” he said, adding that “it is very easy for ill-wishers to abuse the situation, provoke and excite people” in a conflict.

The Kremlin representative also did not evaluate the actions of regional authorities regarding the situation with the airport. “We’ll wait for the meeting,” Peskov said, noting that there will be both a public and a closed part of the meeting.

It is expected that the meeting will be attended by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Chairman of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko, State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov, Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Sergei Naryshkin and others.

On October 29, a crowd of activists burst into Makhachkala airport as a flight from Israel arrived there. As a result of the riots suffered more than 20 people – both police and civilians. Two patients are in extremely serious condition, the Dagestan Ministry of Health reported.

Against the backdrop of what was happening, the airport was closed, and by the evening all people who had broken into the airport without permission were taken out of the building. On the morning of October 30, Rosaviatsia reported, that due to the normalization of the situation, the airport can resume operations on October 31. Until it is restored, which may take 2-3 days, Makhachkala flights will be accepted by alternate airfields, reported Head of Dagestan Sergei Melikov.

In connection with the incident, the Investigative Committee for Dagestan excited criminal case under Art. 212 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of mass riots accompanied by violence, pogroms, arson, destruction of property, the use of firearms, explosives or explosive devices, as well as armed resistance to a government official).