Shafaq News/ Russia has denounced what it termed "foreign interference" in the anti-Israel riots that led to the closure of Makhachkala Airport in the Muslim-majority Republic of Dagestan in the Caucasus region. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that the events at Makhachkala Airport were essentially the result of external interference.

Russian police have arrested 60 people suspected of storming the airport after reports circulated that a plane carrying Israeli passengers had landed. The protesters, some waving Palestinian flags and chanting slogans, breached security and attempted to search departing cars for Israeli passengers.

Peskov pointed out that the situation in Gaza, highlighted by media coverage of civilian casualties, provided an opportunity for adversaries to exploit the situation. While details of the foreign interference were not offered, President Vladimir Putin is set to meet with senior advisors to discuss "the West's attempts to exploit events in the Middle East to divide Russian society."

President of the Republic of Dagestan, Sergei Melikov, claimed the disturbances were organized from Ukraine, although no evidence was presented. Patriarch Kirill condemned the riots, characterizing them as an attempt to create discord between Jews and Muslims in Russia, highlighting the longstanding friendship and cooperation between the communities. He emphasized that there was "no moral justification" for attacking innocent people.