Dagestan shootings spotlight rising Islamist threat for Putin

President Vladimir Putin says Russia’s war in Ukraine is part of an existential struggle with the West that demands total focus – but deadly shootings in Dagestan show that militant Islam is a rising threat that may force him to redirect some of his resources.
The latest violence, in which at least 20 people were killed on Sunday evening in a series of apparently coordinated shootings in Russia’s far south, raises awkward questions for its intelligence and security services.
They appear to have been caught off guard at a time when much of their attention is focused on Ukraine and the threat of Ukrainian-linked attacks inside Russia.
“Radical Islamism is again raising its head in Russia,” said Sergei Markov, a former Kremlin adviser, who had just returned from a trip to the North Caucasus region.
“It is clear that there is a problem with Islamist terrorism and it is very serious. We need action from the authorities.”