Gunmen in Dagestan hit churches, synagogues
19 people were killed in terrorist attacks targeting police and houses of worship in Russia
What happened
Gunmen in Russia's southern Dagestan republic carried out what authorities called a coordinated terrorist attack on Orthodox churches, synagogues and police outposts in two cities, Derbent and Makhachkala. Sergei Melikov, Dagestan's governor, said "more than 15 police officers fell victim" in Sunday's attacks, along with a priest and several other civilians.
Who said what
The assailants were not immediately identified, but "Dagestan has in the past been the scene of Islamist attacks," the BBC said. Sunday's attacks, three months after about 140 people were killed in an assault on Moscow's Crocus City Hall theater, "raise concern about the vulnerability of Russia's internal security as critics have blamed authorities for diverting resources toward cracking down on political dissent" and waging war in Ukraine, The Wall Street Journal said. Kremlin allies tried to pin the Moscow attack on Ukraine, though ISIS-K claimed responsibility.
What next?
Since 2022, "Russians have been led to believe that their principal adversaries are Ukraine and the 'collective West,'" the BBC said, and "that's a message Russian authorities are reluctant to change." Dagestan began three days of mourning on Monday.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
6 charming homes for the whimsical
Feature Featuring a 1924 factory-turned-loft in San Francisco and a home with custom murals in Yucca Valley
By The Week Staff Published
-
Big tech's big pivot
Opinion How Silicon Valley's corporate titans learned to love Trump
By Theunis Bates Published
-
Stacy Horn's 6 favorite works that explore the spectrum of evil
Feature The author recommends works by Kazuo Ishiguro, Anthony Doerr, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Will European boots on the ground in Ukraine actually keep the peace?
Today's Big Question Pressure is growing for allies to keep the peace if Trump pulls plug on support
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
'Restricting what an agent can know and respond to reduces its competitiveness'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Hebdo attack: 10 years on, are we all still 'Charlie'?
Talking Point Terror attack on French satirical magazine united the Western world in defence of free speech, but a decade on some claim 'the killers have won'
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Is Russia's 'shadow fleet' attacking Western infrastructure?
In the Spotlight Built to evade sanctions, but sabotage may be next
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
'This growing lack of social exposure is terrible for us and terrible for democracy'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Ukraine and Syria: a budding new friendship
The Explainer Why Zelenskyy's government is rapidly building ties with Russia's former ally in the Middle East
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
'We have made it a crime for most refugees to want the American dream'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
Ukraine hints at end to 'hot war' with Russia in 2025
Talking Points Could the new year see an end to the worst European violence of the 21st Century?
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published