Yesterday's unrest at the Dagestani airport in Makhachkala is not beneficial to the Kremlin, even though it is a result of fueling hatred by Russian propaganda.
This was stated by the director of the Center for Advanced Strategic Communication Experience at NATO, Yanis Sarts, in the Latvian television program "Morning Panorama," as reported by Delfi.
In Sarts' opinion, the clashes are one of the manifestations of the radicalization of Russian society.
"Russian media are inciting hatred towards Ukrainians, the West, and now towards Israel as well. Tensions in Russia are rising, and Dagestan is one of the places from which many of those who died in Ukraine originate," Sarts said, adding that the events in Makhachkala did not come as a particular surprise.
According to him, what happened was a reaction of people to a specific situation.
"Such manifestations are not beneficial to the Kremlin, and there will be attempts to suppress them," the expert said, adding that this would be done "in the only way they know – through force."
The Kremlin and the central government are not under threat, but from the perspective of an authoritarian system's logic, such manifestations are something that cannot be allowed, as events could escalate unpredictably far.
It is worth noting that in Makhachkala (Russia) on Sunday, participants of an anti-Semitic rally stormed the airport and attempted to board a Tel Aviv-bound plane in search of Jews. The airport was closed, and more than 20 people were injured due to the unrest.
