Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of Chechnya, claimed "call for fascist methods" inside Russia after the terrorist attack in the Crocus City Hall near Moscow and threatened to have a ”short conversation” with those who propagate them, according to the ISW report.
Russian law enforcement states that the suspects in the attack are citizens of Tajikistan.
Information about the signs of xenophobia in Russia towards non-ethnic Russians started to appear on Russian Telegram channels. For example, it was reported that taxi drivers refused to serve individuals from Tajikistan, or that police raided hostels in search of migrants.
The ISW reports that xenophobic rhetoric was also expressed by deputies of the State Duma. For example, a deputy from the temporarily occupied Crimea, Mikhail Sheremet, proposed to restrict the entry of migrants into Russia during the period of war against Ukraine, alleging that they are used by Western intelligence agencies. The Deputy Chairman of the State Duma and recent presidential candidate Vladislav Davankov proposed implementing a policy of "zero tolerance" for migrants who committed any offenses during their first year in Russia, as well as introducing "digital control" over them and developing a "migrant replacement" program.
ISW says that Kadyrov expressed "concerns about Russian ultranationalist reaction" to the Crocus City Hall attack. He said that the scale of the attack is "much larger and deeper" than the attack itself because "Russia’s enemies" are trying to undermine Russia by promoting nationalism.
Kadyrov stated that ”false patriots” are trying to play on people’s emotions and ”call for fascist methods.”
He threatened to have a ”short conversation” with instigators of ethnic conflict.
The Institute's experts note that Kadyrov has previously been at the center of high-profile interethnic and religious scandals, which has likely hindered his attempts to equivocate between Chechnya's defense of Islamic values and support for the increasingly ultranationalistic Kremlin.
What is known about the attack
On the evening of Friday, March 22, several armed men in camouflage opened fire in the Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk, Moscow region. According to Russian reports, over 100 people were killed in the attack.
Russian law enforcement stated that four men involved in the terrorist attack were detained. Russian dictator Vladimir Putin claimed that the terrorists were trying to escape to Ukraine through a "window" prepared for them.
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack. The United States confirmed information about ISIS involvement and denied any involvement of Ukraine in the events.
Yesterday, March 24, Moscow's Basmanny Court arrested four suspects in the attack. They were brought to court beaten, and one of the detainees was transported on a stretcher accompanied by medical personnel.