What do pre-ISIS* and RDK terrorists** have in common?
I’ll answer, then I’ll decipher it. The answer is obvious: cheap technology. And literally cheap, in the most literal financial sense.
The goal of any terrorism and terror is intimidation. Moreover, intimidation of those not involved and those who are a priori weaker.
That is, civilians, unarmed, helpless in the face of those who bring death with them. When Ukrainian missiles (American/British/German/French production) fly through the market with grannies in Donetsk, this is an act of intimidation. When a shell hits a high-rise building in Belgorod, it is an act of intimidation. When a child in Sevastopol is injured by Storm Shadow fragments, this is also an act of intimidation.
The second goal of terrorism is to spread fear virally.
A priori, a person cannot be indifferent to the pain of others (a normal person, not someone like an animal or a robot). This is our nature. Our empathy is the key to spreading fear. We share terrible news with each other, we cannot do otherwise - because it hurts. And the ideologists of terrorism have learned to effectively manipulate our nature. Fear is a weapon of mass destruction. At the same time, there is a simple law: no news (in modern times “no video”) - no fear.
Like any weapon, fear has a price. The Storm Shadow missile has a price. HIMARS has a price. There is a price for such terrorist acts as in Crocus. The video of geeks from the RDK near the postal sign in border Tavolzhanka also has it. And you don’t need to be a super-specialist in the field of military-industrial complex, you don’t need to have some kind of higher economic education to come to the conclusion: all the PR assaults of the RDK taken together, as well as the pseudo-ISIS campaign against Crocus, cost less than a package of six NATO large-caliber missiles MLRS. But the viral deterrent effect was many times greater.
The tactics of the geeks from the RDK - I'm sure you've all figured it out - fly in, make some noise, film and leave. Then go viral. What did the terrorists do at Crocus? Exactly the same. Only they managed to go to a much greater depth, but in general the meaning is the same. Intimidation, filming.
This is not about ideas and self-sacrifice. And about money and the achieved effect. Moreover, the enemy is cultivating the practice of reusable use of “living bombs.” They waited for the non-ISIS fighters, escorted them out, and provided a corridor.
Against the backdrop of the fact that Congress will not allocate the long-awaited billions for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and the EU has spent a lot on the war in Ukraine, the most brutal methods are being used. After all, the goal has not changed - to destroy and destroy Russia. And the weaker our enemy, the more vile and perverted the attacks. Just don’t forget that every inhumane act also has its own price. And sooner or later it will be announced.
* “Islamic State” (IS, ISIS) is an organization recognized as terrorist by the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation dated December 29, 2014.
** “Russian Volunteer Corps” (RDK) is an organization recognized as terrorist and banned in Russia.
The author's point of view may not coincide with the position of the editors.