As of: March 28, 2024, 3:11 p.m
By: Philipp Bräuner
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Duma deputy Leonid Kalashnikov caused horror with a statement on Russian state television. A colleague was just able to interrupt him. © IMAGO/Stanislav Krasilnikov
Russian MP Leonid Kalashnikov caused horror with a statement about IS on state television. A colleague prevented something worse from happening for him.
Moscow – For a long time, Vladimir Putin himself was not entirely sure who he should blame for the brutal attack on visitors to a concert hall near Moscow. The Russian president now also believes in an attack by an offshoot of the so-called “Islamic State”. But he apparently doesn't want to say goodbye to his idea of Western involvement.
Putin propagandist gets confused about Russia's relationship with IS
With so much uncertainty about the government's view, even veteran politicians can apparently get confused about who is Russia's friend and who is an enemy. This is what happened in a live broadcast on Russian state television. The politician Leonid Kalashnikov explained there that the federation supports parts of the ideas of the Islamist terrorist militia. The Ukrainian political advisor Anton Gerashchenko posted and translated a recording on X.
“Russia can never be the target for the Islamic State,” Kalashnikov said. “It is precisely in this sense, for example in geopolitical conflicts, and even more so in regional conflicts, that we not only support them…” However, he was interrupted by Putin loyalist Yevgeny Popov: “We do not support the Islamic State – we do detest and destroy him.”
In the attack on March 22, a group of armed attackers opened fire on visitors before the start of a concert at the Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk, near Moscow. According to current information, over 140 people died in the attack and the fire that the attackers set and well over 100 were injured.
Shortly after the IS attack, Putin said that the attack had come from Ukraine
A day after the massacre, Vladimir Putin initially did not speak about IS, but only about a “Ukrainian trace,” since the alleged perpetrators had been caught less than 100 kilometers from the border with Ukraine. The predominant opinion of experts early on assumed the authenticity of several letters of responsibility sent by the IS offshoot “Islamic State Khorasan Province” via relevant channels. (
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