US dismisses Putin’s claim that anti-Israel riot at Dagestan was organised by Ukraine and West

‘Classic Russian rhetoric, when something goes bad in your country, you blame somebody else’

The US has rejected Vladimir Putin’s claim that the Ukraine and the West were behind a riot in Russia’s Dagestan where thousands of people stormed an airport to target a flight landing from Israel.

Mr Putin on Monday, without presenting any evidence, accused unnamed Ukrainian agents of Western spy agencies of “trying to inspire” the rampage at the airport late on Sunday which injured more than 20 people.

The Russian president claimed the chaos was part of America’s efforts to weaken Russia.

None of those injured in the attack were Israeli nationals, reported The Associated Press.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller answered a question on Russia publicly blaming outsiders for the attack.

“I have seen their comments about Ukraine, that is absurd obviously. I don’t have any assessment to offer,” he said.

“I have seen reports that they may be arresting people. I don’t know the full extent of the action they will take. I will say we believe that they should hold anyone responsible accountable,” the official said.

US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby also responded to the allegations by Mr Putin.

“Classic Russian rhetoric, when something goes bad in your country, you blame somebody else,” he said at a White House briefing, adding that the West had “nothing to do with this”.

“This is just hate, bigotry and intimidation, pure and simple," Mr Kirby said and criticised the Russian president for not doing more to condemn the violence, which he described as “a chilling demonstration of hate”.

Photos and videos of the rampage showed scores of angry men, some carrying banners with antisemitic slogans, rushing onto the tarmac of the airport in Makhachkala, the capital of the predominantly Muslim region, looking for Israeli passengers on the flight from Tel Aviv.

Mr Putin blamed the US for sowing chaos in the Middle East and for stoking the conflict in Ukraine, where Russia’s invasion is entering its second winter.

Without presenting any evidence or intelligence, he accused “agents of Western special services” in Ukraine of using social media networks to provoke the rampage in Dagestan to weaken Russia.

“I’m not certain if everyone in the US leadership is aware of that,” he said. “It wouldn’t hurt if they run a probe into what their special services have been doing in Ukraine, trying to inspire pogroms in Russia. They are real scum, it’s impossible to call them otherwise.”

“The ruling elites of the US and its satellites are the main beneficiaries of the global instability,” Mr Putin said. “They are earning their bloody rent from it.”

Police officers and civilians were among those injured in the violence. Two of them were in critical condition, regional health authorities said. More than 80 people were detained in the unrest, according to police. Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened a criminal probe on charges of organising mass unrest.