A tumultuous scene unfolded in Russia’s predominantly Muslim region of Dagestan, as an irate crowd swarmed an airport following the arrival of a flight from Israel on Sunday. This chaotic incident prompted authorities to close the airport and redirect incoming flights.
Numerous videos circulated on social media depicted a crowd within the Makhachkala Uytash Airport (MCX) and on its runways. Some individuals were seen brandishing the Palestinian flag, while others forcefully breached closed doors within the international terminal.
Verified photos and videos obtained by CNN showed individuals outside the airport displaying anti-Semitic signs bearing slogans such as “We are against Jewish refugees” and “There is no place for child-killers in Dagestan.”
The confrontations resulted in a minimum of 10 people sustaining injuries, with two individuals listed in critical condition, according to a statement from the Dagestan Health Ministry issued late Sunday.
The airport was temporarily shuttered, and incoming flights were rerouted, as reported by the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency, citing the intrusion of “unknown persons” into the facility.
The flight in question, arriving from Tel Aviv on a Red Wing Airlines aircraft, landed at 7:17 p.m. local time on Sunday, only to find itself quickly surrounded by protesters upon arrival.
In one video, a pilot takes to the speaker of his aircraft to say: “It is not safe to open the doors” because “protesters are below our plane.” A tumultuous scene
According to Russian state media TASS, “those gathered oppose the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.”
The incident is the latest to illustrate huge global tensions and divides over the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, which was sparked by a coordinated October 7 attack by the militant group that killed some 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and the kidnapping of more than 200 people.
Israel’s retaliation has been relentless, with Gaza under siege and heavily bombarded, inflaming tensions far beyond the Middle East.