MOSCOW, June 24. /TASS/. The attack in Dagestan, where 15 police officers and four civilians were killed, was an absolutely brazen provocation planned from abroad, Valentina Matviyenko, speaker of Russia’s Federation Council, or upper house of parliament, said.
"I think that the main defense mechanism for us is in clearly realizing that what happened has no objective grounds, is alien to us and is an absolutely shameless provocation. It was carefully planned from abroad by our enemies, financed by them and calculated specifically to sow discord. As per their plan," she wrote on her Telegram channel.
She urged to remember that, without being able to defeat Russia from the outside, "the adversary is looking for any opportunity to implode Russian society from the inside." That said, Matviyenko stressed that this crafty enemy is targeting Russia’s multi-ethnic culture. "We are dealing with international terrorism. We must not facilitate the implementation of alien, hostile plots by our actions, guided by emotions," the politician stressed.
According to the Investigative Committee, militants carried out armed attacks on churches and synagogues in Makhachkala and Derbent and opened fire on law enforcement officials. As a result, 15 police officers were killed, as well as four civilians, including a Russian Orthodox priest. Five militants have been eliminated during the counter-terror operation, their identities have been established. Criminal charges have been filed for committing a terror attack and the illegal acquisition, storage, traffic, and larceny of firearms.