Terrorist attack President Putin does not mention IS “Ukraine is behind it”

Russian authorities have charged four suspects with terrorism in connection with the terrorist attack that occurred at a concert hall on the outskirts of the Russian capital, Moscow. On the other hand, President Putin has not mentioned the extremist group Islamic State (IS), claiming that Ukraine's cooperation was behind it, and is wondering how Russia will proceed, such as whether this will be used as an excuse to further intensify the military invasion. is the focus.

Russia's Federal Investigative Committee has announced that 137 people were killed in the terrorist attack that took place on the 22nd at a concert hall in Krasnogorsk, a suburb of the Russian capital Moscow, and the Ministry of Health said 182 people were hospitalized. He is said to be receiving medical treatment.

The state news agency TASS reported that around 5,000 people in the building were evacuated after the shooting, citing the facility's director.

By the 25th, Russian authorities had indicted four of the 11 people suspected of carrying out the attack on charges of being involved in terrorism, and state news agency reports that the four are Tajik nationals.

The Russian presidential palace said on the 24th that President Putin spoke by phone with President Rahmon of Tajikistan and agreed to strengthen counter-terrorism measures, and it appears that they discussed the incident.

Regarding this incident, ``Amaq News'', which is connected to the extremist group IS (Islamic State), reports that it was carried out by IS fighters.

On the other hand, President Putin made no mention of IS, claiming that cooperation from Ukraine was behind the scenes, and said things like, ``It's like the executions that the Nazis carried out in the occupied territories,'' and baselessly accused the Zelenskiy government of Nazism. He is making statements that overlap with the claims he has previously criticized.

The Ukrainian side has completely denied any involvement, but the focus is on how the Russian side will respond, including whether the Putin administration will use this as an excuse to further intensify its military invasion.

The four people indicted

Four people were indicted for involvement in terrorism in this case, including Dareljon Mirzoev and Saidakrami Ratchabarizoda.

According to an announcement from a court in the capital, Moscow, defendants Mirzoev and Ratchabarizoda have admitted their guilt.

The court ruled that Mirzoev is a Tajik citizen.

Meanwhile, Russia's Interfax news agency reported that all four men have admitted guilt and are all Tajik nationals.

According to Interfax and other sources, all four were living in Russia, and defendants Mirzoev and Ratchabarizhoda were unemployed. The other two are factory workers and former hairdressers.

Regarding the ages of the four, multiple local media outlets say they are in their teens to 30s.

Tajikistan is highly dependent on Russia economically and militarily.

Tajikistan, once part of the Soviet Union, is a country in Central Asia bordering China and Afghanistan, with a population of approximately 10.1 million.

The economy deteriorated significantly due to the civil war that occurred after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and according to the World Bank, the GDP per capita (gross domestic product) in 2017 was approximately $1,054, making it the poorest of the five Central Asian countries. Masu.

It is highly dependent on Russia economically and militarily, and according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which supports immigrants and displaced persons, it relies on overseas remittances for about one-third of its GDP, but according to 2021 statistics. Approximately 58% of this amount was remittances from workers who went to Russia to work.

The relationship between the two countries is strong, as Afghanistan shares a long border of approximately 1,400 km with a large number of ethnic Tajik people living in Afghanistan, and the problem of influx of weapons and drugs is serious. That is.

In 2015, a former commander of Tajikistan's security services defected after vowing to join the Islamic State extremist group, and in November 2018, the vice chairman of Tajikistan's National Security Committee announced that approximately 1,900 members of the country's population has revealed that it is participating in conflicts in Syria and Iraq, raising concerns that many Tajikistan nationals may have joined IS and that its influence could spread to Central Asia.

Tajik security authorities say that a riot at a prison near Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, that occurred in May 2019 was instigated by imprisoned IS members.

Under these circumstances, Russia has conducted joint military exercises with Tajikistan and other countries near the Afghan border, and President Putin has frequently met with the leaders of Central Asian countries to discuss countermeasures against the threat posed by Islamic extremists.

President Putin visited Kyrgyzstan in October last year and gave a speech at the Kant Air Base on the outskirts of the capital, Bishkek, where the Russian military is stationed, saying, ``The Russian military will bring security and stability to all of Central Asia, and will protect against threats such as terrorism.'' "He has made a great contribution," he said.

However, Russia is directing many of its military and security agency personnel to Ukraine, where it continues to invade Ukraine.

It has also been pointed out that as the invasions continue to prolong, Russia's influence is weakening in Central Asia, which it has until now considered its sphere of influence.