Vladimir Putin: Humiliated by Russian Nationalists

Mysterious attacks took place along the Russian border with Ukraine on Thursday. Following this, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with the permanent members of the National Security Council on Friday. However, Putin did not comment on the events at the beginning of the meeting in Moscow. He had earlier described it as an act of terrorism. Instead, Putin named the topic of the meeting as protecting the buildings of the Russian security forces from terrorist attacks.

The President asked Interior Minister Vladimir Golokoltsev to make a statement. Only these two short sentences were made public by the Kremlin and the Russian media. Government leaders, parliamentarians, military and security officials were reportedly in attendance.

Vladimir Putin canceled the trip

On Thursday, the news media covered a meeting of Putin’s closest advisory council with attacks In the Bryansk border region. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the meeting of the Security Council but did not comment on the agenda. Putin’s planned trip to the North Caucasus has been cancelled.

Russia’s domestic spy agency FSB said on Thursday of wars with Ukrainian subversive groups. According to Russian sources, the infiltrators killed two men and wounded a child. Ukraine denied any involvement.

Later, in an endorsement video, Russian nationalists fighting for Ukraine claimed responsibility for the attacks. According to “Bayerischer Rundfunk”, Bryansk’s governor previously boasted about how “much” the border with Ukraine had been fortified: “It is progressive without exaggeration. No rat can go there anymore.” Despite this, almost fifty members of the right-wing extremist “Russian Volunteer Force” fighting on the side of Ukraine managed to overcome all obstacles. The group is said to be headed by internationally known right-wing extremist Denis Nikitin.

Both Putin and Peskov talked about a terrorist act that needs to be clarified in detail. Peskov said on Friday that the authorities would then make the necessary decisions, state news agency Tass reported.

(dpa/afp/jar)