After Dagestan attacks, Putin faces questions about Islamist threat in Russia
The attacks on synagogues and churches in Dagestan appear to have been Islamist extremism, a rising threat with Vladimir Putin's focus on war in Ukraine.
Nobody has yet claimed responsibility for the deadly attacks on two synagogues and Orthodox churches that shook southern Russia on Sunday.
Sixteen law enforcement officers, an Orthodox priest and several civilians were killed in raids in the predominantly Muslim region on the Orthodox Christian holy day of Pentecost, but the Kremlin has sought to downplay the prospect that Islamist militants were behind it.
Its attempts to distract from a possible connection may hint at the growing vulnerability of President Vladimir Putin, whose attention and resources are focused squarely on the war in Ukraine and those who oppose it inside Russia.
Kremlin-linked politicians have suggested without evidence that the attacks have been organized by “enemies” from abroad, specifically intelligence services of Ukraine and NATO, although Putin himself has not directly addressed the attacks.
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