Massive explosions have reportedly rocked a key gas pipeline in Russia’s Dagestan region, causing significant damage and raising concerns over energy infrastructure security. Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the blasts, with initial reports suggesting possible sabotage. The incident has sparked emergency response efforts as officials assess the extent of the disruption to local energy supplies.


Massive Explosions Rock Gas Pipeline In Russia’s Dagestan Region

A multi-story apartment building collapsed in Makhachkala, the capital city of the Russian Caucasian Dagestan region, due to flooding, the regional office of the Russian Emergency Ministry said on Sunday.

According to preliminary information, there are no casualties because residents of the building were evacuated.

Russia: Torrential Rains Trigger Flood Crisis; Over 3,000 Evacuated as Rains Pound Dagestan

Amid the new legislation for crypto mining in Russia, local authorities have uncovered illegal crypto mining farms in the southern Republic of Dagestan. The regional prime minister urged law enforcement to increase their efforts to tackle unlawful mining operations as the region struggles with electricity consumption.

Russia's Dagestan Calls For Illegal Crypto Mining Crackdown Amid Power Issues

<p>A female Russian chess player was detained and could face a lifetime ban and jail time after allegedly trying to poison a rival during a tournament, a clandestine act caught on security camera.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Russian Chess Federation suspended Amina Abakarova, 40, who targeted her childhood rival Umayganat Osmanova, 30, with poisoning. She potentially faces jail time and a lifetime ban from the game, according to reports in Russian media.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/olympics/news-paris-olympics-2024-ioa-to-punish-not-ban-wrestler-antim-panghal-over-disciplinary-breach-%E2%80%93-report-748394">Paris Olympics 2024: IOA to punish, not ban, wrestler Antim Panghal over disciplinary breach – Report</a></strong></p>

<p>Abakarova is a chess coach from Makhachkala in Russia's Dagestan region.</p>

<h2><strong>What the security camera footage shows</strong></h2>

<p>The incident happened during the Dagestan Chess championship on August 2.</p>

<p>Abakarova was caught on CCTV footage walking to a room full of chess boards, 20 minutes ahead of her childhood rival, Osmanova, was to appear for a game.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The footage shows her pouring something from what looked like a thermometer.</p>

<p>According to a report in Chess.com, it was potentially deadly mercury.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Russian player Amina Abakarova smears chess pieces with mercury to poison opponent ahead of match<br />
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dagestan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dagestan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AminaAbakarova?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AminaAbakarova</a> <a href="https://t.co/qygPttF7p6">pic.twitter.com/qygPttF7p6</a></p>
— WION (@WIONews) <a href="https://twitter.com/WIONews/status/1821479314317046143?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>Osmanova, as well as one of the event organisers, felt sick with nausea and dizziness and medical aid had to be called in.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Doctors found poisoning to be the cause of their sickness.</p>

<p>Russian media reports said Abakarova was later detained and a police report filed.</p>

<p>Dagestan's Minister of Sport, Sazhida Sazhidova, said, "I am perplexed by what happened, and the motives of such an experienced competitor as Amina Abakarova are incomprehensible. The actions she took could have led to a most tragic outcome, threatening the lives of everyone who was present, including herself. Now she must answer for what she did by the law."</p>

<h2><strong>Rival returns to finish the game</strong></h2>

<p>Osmanova said later that she felt "terrible, disgusting and morally depressed" after finding out that she had been poisoned, according to a Chess.com report.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I still feel bad. In the first minutes, I felt a lack of air and a taste of iron in my mouth. I had to spend about five hours on this board. I don’t know what would have happened to me if I hadn’t seen it earlier," Russia Today quoted her as saying.</p>

<p>She recovered and finished the tournament with a second prize.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to Russian media reports, Abakarova was motivated by personal hostility and wanted to scare, not harm, her rival. She wanted to "knock Osmanova out of the tournament", said&nbsp;reports.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


A female Russian chess player was detained and could face a lifetime ban and jail time after allegedly trying to poison a rival during a tournament, a clandestine act caught on security camera.

A female Russian chess player was detained and could face a lifetime ban and jail time after allegedly trying to poison a rival during a tournament, a clandestine act caught on security camera. Russian Chess Federation suspended Amina Abakarova, 40, who targeted her childhood rival Umayganat Osmanova, 30, with poisoning. She potentially faces jail time and a lifetime ban from the game, according to reports in Russian media. ALSO READ: Paris Olympics 2024: IOA to punish, not ban, wrestler Antim Panghal over disciplinary breach – Report Abakarova is a chess coach from Makhachkala in Russia's Dagestan region. What the security camera footage shows The incident happened during the Dagestan Chess championship on August 2. Abakarova was caught on CCTV footage walking to a room full of chess boards, 20 minutes ahead of her childhood rival, Osmanova, was to appear for a game. The footage shows her pouring something from what looked like a thermometer. According to a report in Chess.com, it was potentially deadly mercury. Russian player Amina Abakarova smears chess pieces with mercury to poison opponent ahead of match . . . . .#Dagestan #AminaAbakarova pic.twitter.com/qygPttF7p6 — WION (@WIONews) August 8, 2024 × Osmanova, as well as one of the event organisers, felt sick with nausea and dizziness and medical aid had to be called in. Doctors found poisoning to be the cause of their sickness. Russian media reports said Abakarova was later detained and a police report filed. Dagestan's Minister of Sport, Sazhida Sazhidova, said, "I am perplexed by what happened, and the motives of such an experienced competitor as Amina Abakarova are incomprehensible. The actions she took could have led to a most tragic outcome, threatening the lives of everyone who was present, including herself. Now she must answer for what she did by the law." Rival returns to finish the game Osmanova said later that she felt "terrible, disgusting and morally depressed" after finding out that she had been poisoned, according to a Chess.com report. "I still feel bad. In the first minutes, I felt a lack of air and a taste of iron in my mouth. I had to spend about five hours on this board. I don’t know what would have happened to me if I hadn’t seen it earlier," Russia Today quoted her as saying. She recovered and finished the tournament with a second prize. According to Russian media reports, Abakarova was motivated by personal hostility and wanted to scare, not harm, her rival. She wanted to "knock Osmanova out of the tournament", said reports. (With inputs from agencies)

Russian chess player poured poison on her rival's board, suspended; faces jail: Watch

Have terrorists renewed jihad against Russia? All signs point to it. The attack that took place in Russia's Southernmost Republic of Dagestan on Sunday, was the second major attack in Russia in three months. Gunmen opened fire at synagogues, churches, and police. The attack comes just three months after gunmen, purportedly from ISIS-K, stormed into Moscow’s Crocus City Hall, killing nearly 150 people. Has Russia's Islamist threat metastised? Are jihadist groups trying to take advantage of the Ukraine war and strike?

Gravitas | Dagestan Attack: Terrorists renew Jihad against Russia amid Ukraine war

At least 15 police officers and a priest were killed by gunmen on Sunday in what appear to be coordinated attacks on multiple places of worship in Russia’s southernmost Dagestan province. Watch in for more details!

Russia's Dagestan under attack: Gunmen target one orthodox priest, 15 policemen

Russia under attack: More than a dozen killed in synagogue, church attacks in Dagestan

Russia's Dagestan under attack: At least 16 killed, 25 injured

<p>Synagogues, churches and a police post in Russia's North Caucasus region of Dagestan came under attack on Sunday (June 23), killing at least 20 people, including policemen and a priest.</p>

<p>"As a result of the terrorist attack that took place yesterday in Makhachkala and Derbent, 46 people were injured, among them civilians and law enforcement officials," Dagestan's health minister Tatyana Belyayeva said.</p>

<p>"Unfortunately, 20 people had been killed," she added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Videos that went viral on social media showed masked gunmen opening fire at these places of worship. The attack comes three months after 145 people were killed in an attack claimed by the Islamic State on a concert hall near Moscow, Russia's worst terrorist attack in years.</p>

<p>The attacks were almost simultaneous in Dagestan's largest city Makhachkala and in the coastal city of Derbent. Governor Sergei Melikov called it a "terrorist attack".</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/police-officer-and-priest-killed-as-gunmen-open-fire-at-synagogue-and-church-in-russia-dagestan-734452">Six policemen and priest killed as gunmen open fire at synagogue and church in Russia' Dagestan</a></strong></p>

<p>According to officials,&nbsp;police personnel eliminated four gunmen in Makhachkala and two in Derbent.</p>

<p>The local governor confirmed that among the dead were several civilians, including a priest who had worked in Derbent for over 40 years.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Dagestan: Gunmen target religious places | Memorial service for Kanishka victims</strong></p>

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<p>"This evening in Derbent and Makhachkala unknown (attackers) made attempts to destabilise the situation in society," Melikov wrote on Telegram.</p>

<p>"We know who is behind these terrorist attacks and what objective they are pursuing," he added later, without specifying but referring to the Russia-Ukraine war.</p>

<p>"We must understand that war comes to our homes too. We felt it, but today we face it," he said.</p>

<p>At the time of filing this report, the operation to eliminate the gunmen had concluded. The governor said that the "active phase" of operations in the two cities had ended and that "six bandits have been liquidated".</p>

<p>The authorities are now working to find "all the members of these sleeper cells who prepared (the attacks) and who were prepared, including abroad", he added.</p>

<p>The days between June 24 and 26 have been declared days of mourning in Dagestan. The flags have been lowered to half-mast and most entertainment events stand cancelled.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Russia's Investigative Committee said it had opened criminal probes over "acts of terror" in Dagestan. There, however, was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Synagogues, churches and a police post in Russia's North Caucasus region of Dagestan came under attack on Sunday (June 23), killing at least 20 people, including policemen and a priest.

Synagogues, churches and a police post in Russia's North Caucasus region of Dagestan came under attack on Sunday (June 23), killing at least 20 people, including policemen and a priest. "As a result of the terrorist attack that took place yesterday in Makhachkala and Derbent, 46 people were injured, among them civilians and law enforcement officials," Dagestan's health minister Tatyana Belyayeva said. "Unfortunately, 20 people had been killed," she added. Videos that went viral on social media showed masked gunmen opening fire at these places of worship. The attack comes three months after 145 people were killed in an attack claimed by the Islamic State on a concert hall near Moscow, Russia's worst terrorist attack in years. The attacks were almost simultaneous in Dagestan's largest city Makhachkala and in the coastal city of Derbent. Governor Sergei Melikov called it a "terrorist attack". Also read | Six policemen and priest killed as gunmen open fire at synagogue and church in Russia' Dagestan According to officials, police personnel eliminated four gunmen in Makhachkala and two in Derbent. The local governor confirmed that among the dead were several civilians, including a priest who had worked in Derbent for over 40 years. Also watch | Dagestan: Gunmen target religious places | Memorial service for Kanishka victims × "This evening in Derbent and Makhachkala unknown (attackers) made attempts to destabilise the situation in society," Melikov wrote on Telegram. "We know who is behind these terrorist attacks and what objective they are pursuing," he added later, without specifying but referring to the Russia-Ukraine war. "We must understand that war comes to our homes too. We felt it, but today we face it," he said. At the time of filing this report, the operation to eliminate the gunmen had concluded. The governor said that the "active phase" of operations in the two cities had ended and that "six bandits have been liquidated". The authorities are now working to find "all the members of these sleeper cells who prepared (the attacks) and who were prepared, including abroad", he added. The days between June 24 and 26 have been declared days of mourning in Dagestan. The flags have been lowered to half-mast and most entertainment events stand cancelled. Russia's Investigative Committee said it had opened criminal probes over "acts of terror" in Dagestan. There, however, was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks. (With inputs from agencies)

Russia Dagestan terrorist attack: Churches and synagogues attacked; cops, priest among 20 killed

Russia Dagestan attack: Gunman target one Orthodox Priest, 15 policemen

Headlines of the hour: - Dalai Lama in US for knee surger - Iran motion to blacklist Canada Army - Dagestan: Gunmen target religious places - Four killed in Crimea city of Sevastopol - NEET-UG probe: CBI team attacked - Memorial service for Kanishka victims

Dagestan: Gunmen target religious places | Memorial service for Kanishka victims

<p>As many as 15 people who stormed a Russian airport runway and tried to encircle a plane that had flown in from Israel were sentenced to prison by courts on Wednesday (Nov 1).</p>

<p>Courts in Dagestan, a Muslim-majority region, jailed the rioters for between two and ten days for their involvement in the anti-Jewish incident, the TASS news agency reported. Whereas, two more were ordered to complete 60 hours of forced labour.</p>

<p>The incident happened on Sunday when the Red Wing Airlines flight from Tel Aviv landed at Makhachkala Uytash Airport around 7 pm (local time).</p>

<p>Soon a mob of angry crowd holding Palestinian flags surrounded the plane.</p>

<h2><strong>Chanted anti-Jewish slogans&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Reportedly, they also shouted slogans such as “We are against Jewish refugees,” and “There is no place for child-killers in Dagestan.”</p>

<p>The airport was temporarily closed and flights were diverted, a statement from the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency said.</p>

<p>Authorities said at least 20 people were injured and 60 people were detained. Many Jewish leaders condemned the incident, likening the incident to Tsar-era pogroms.</p>

<p>On Tuesday, a prominent rabbi in Russia, Boruch Gorin, slammed the Russian authorities over the antisemetic riots calling the incident an “eternal disgrace.”</p>

<h2><strong>Israel warns citizens to leave&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>The order from the court comes a day after an emergency meeting held between President Vladimir Putin and top security officials over the security situation in Dagestan.</p>

<p>Later in a speech on TV, Putin blamed the Western agents for the riots, saying, “The events in Makhachkala last night were instigated through social networks, not least from Ukraine, by the hands of agents of Western special services.”</p>

<p><strong>Also read |</strong>&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwjf_dKt-aKCAxXgUWwGHVDWBhwQxfQBKAB6BAgREAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-beefs-up-security-muslim-majority-region-after-anti-semetic-riots-israel-asks-citizens-to-leave-653549" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-beefs-up-security-muslim-majority-region-after-anti-semetic-riots-israel-asks-citizens-to-leave-653549&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjf_dKt-aKCAxXgUWwGHVDWBhwQxfQBKAB6BAgREAE">Russia beefs up security in Muslim-majority region after anti-Semetic riots, Israel asks citizens to leave</a></p>

<p>Meanwhile, Israel has warned its citizens to leave the North Caucasus in the wake of the riots in Dagestan.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-hamas-war-fbi-director-cautions-against-al-qaeda-threat-in-the-us-653706">Israel-Hamas war: FBI director cautions against al-Qaeda threat in the US</a></p>

<p>Israel's Foreign Ministry and National Security Council warned its citizens to immediately leave the place and called on "all Israelis staying abroad to exercise vigilance, and stay away from demonstrations and protests, and obey the local security forces in case they get caught up in the incidents."</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


As many as 15 people who stormed a Russian airport runway and tried to encircle a plane that had flown in from Israel were sentenced to prison by courts on Wednesday (Nov 1).

As many as 15 people who stormed a Russian airport runway and tried to encircle a plane that had flown in from Israel were sentenced to prison by courts on Wednesday (Nov 1). Courts in Dagestan, a Muslim-majority region, jailed the rioters for between two and ten days for their involvement in the anti-Jewish incident, the TASS news agency reported. Whereas, two more were ordered to complete 60 hours of forced labour. The incident happened on Sunday when the Red Wing Airlines flight from Tel Aviv landed at Makhachkala Uytash Airport around 7 pm (local time). Soon a mob of angry crowd holding Palestinian flags surrounded the plane. Chanted anti-Jewish slogans Reportedly, they also shouted slogans such as “We are against Jewish refugees,” and “There is no place for child-killers in Dagestan.” The airport was temporarily closed and flights were diverted, a statement from the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency said. Authorities said at least 20 people were injured and 60 people were detained. Many Jewish leaders condemned the incident, likening the incident to Tsar-era pogroms. On Tuesday, a prominent rabbi in Russia, Boruch Gorin, slammed the Russian authorities over the antisemetic riots calling the incident an “eternal disgrace.” Israel warns citizens to leave The order from the court comes a day after an emergency meeting held between President Vladimir Putin and top security officials over the security situation in Dagestan. Later in a speech on TV, Putin blamed the Western agents for the riots, saying, “The events in Makhachkala last night were instigated through social networks, not least from Ukraine, by the hands of agents of Western special services.” Also read | Russia beefs up security in Muslim-majority region after anti-Semetic riots, Israel asks citizens to leave Meanwhile, Israel has warned its citizens to leave the North Caucasus in the wake of the riots in Dagestan. Also read | Israel-Hamas war: FBI director cautions against al-Qaeda threat in the US Israel's Foreign Ministry and National Security Council warned its citizens to immediately leave the place and called on "all Israelis staying abroad to exercise vigilance, and stay away from demonstrations and protests, and obey the local security forces in case they get caught up in the incidents." (With inputs from agencies)

15 anti-Israel protesters jailed over riots at Russian airport

<p>We all have our favorite subjects in school. For some, it is Geography. But for all our mugging (and reading after school years) there comes a time when a name stumps us. Is it a country? Is it a province? Don't feel bad if you felt the same way when you heard 'Dagestan' because there are many like you who had to come down from their perch which had the tag 'knowledgeable'.</p>

<p>Before we delve deeper, take it as a working idea that Dagestan is a place. This will help in quickly explaining why it is in news before going into more detail.</p>

<h2><strong>Why is Dagestan in news?</strong></h2>

<p>Anti-Israel protesters stormed an airport in Makhachkala (a place in Dagestan) on Sunday (October 30). This resulted in quite a chaos and twenty people were injured. The protesters numbered in hundreds.</p>

<p>After some efforts. securty forces were able to control the situation and remove the demonstrators from the scene.</p>

<p>The incident has been noticed across the world. Russia said that the protest and ensuing chaos was caused due to "outside influence".</p>

<p>Israel expressed concerns and urged Russia to protect Israelis in Dagestan and also inside the airport.</p>

<p>Now, why are nations turning to Russia when there's a situation in what sounds like the name of a country (Dagestan)?</p>

<p>Read on to know more.</p>

<h2><strong>What is Dagestan?</strong></h2>

<p>Although the name Dagestan or the word 'Republic of Dagestan' tempts us into declaring it a country, Dagestan is a province of Russia, within the Russian Federation. It does not matter that the official name is 'Republic of Dagestan'. The province is the southernmost tip of the largest country in the world.</p>

<h2><strong>Where exactly is Dagestan?</strong></h2>

<p><strong><img alt="Dagestan" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2ba0ee2b-9118-4ee4-a555-f8d12d01a79b" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Dagestan.png" /></strong></p>

<p><em>(Image: Wikimedia Commons)</em></p>

<p>Dagestan translates as "land of the mountains'. It is a mountainous territory located in the eastern part of the North Caucasus. Dagestan has Georgia and Chechnya to the west and Azerbaijan to the south. To its east is Caspian Sea.</p>

<p>Some places in the mountainous terrain are so high and unreachable, you'll only have take a helicopter in order to reach there.</p>

<h2><strong>What about ethnicity in Dagestan?</strong></h2>

<p>The mainly Muslim republic of Dagestan is ethnically and linguistically a varied region. The diversity is so rich, that its Russia's most diverse region.</p>

<p>Sample this.</p>

<p>There are at least 40 different ethnicities in Dagestan. More than 30 languages are spoken here.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Avars are the largest ethnicity. They form about a fifth of the population in the province. After the Avars, there is a sizeable presence of Dargins, Kumyks and Lezgins.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The republic within the Russian Federation has a population of about 3.2 million, say official figures from the Russian government. About 10 per cent of the population is ethnically Russian.</p>

<h2><strong>What&nbsp;is the capital of Dagestan?</strong></h2>

<p>It's Makhachkala. And if the word sounds familiar then the chaos at the airport mentioned in&nbsp;the beginning took place in this city. It is located on Dagestan's Caspian Sea coast. It was conquered by the Russian Imperial Army in the 19th century. It was a major pre-revolutionary trading port.</p>

<p>In present times, Dagestan is a conduit for major oil and gas pipelines going from the Caspian Sea to the Russian heartland. Dagestan itself has oil and gas reserves.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | Israel-Palestine war: Protesters storm Russia's Dagestan airport in search of Israelis</strong></p>

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<p>However, the region witnesses organised crime and is part of Russian region&nbsp;that's unstable. Russian security forces battled an armed insurgency for almost a decade till 2017. They fought various Islamist militant groups in Dagestan, neighbouring Ingushetia and Chechnya.</p>

<p>Imam Shamil, a 19th-century Islamic fighter who has a legendary halo around him was born in Dagestan. He resisted Russian rule for 25 years in the 19th century. Today, many places and streets in the region are named after him.</p>

<h2><strong>A quick look at Dagestan's situation&nbsp;20th century onwards</strong></h2>

<p><strong>1920s:</strong> Dagestan becomes an autonomous republic within the Russian Federation as USSR attempts to gain control in the Caucasus.</p>

<p><strong>1991:</strong> As the Soviet Union fell, authorities in the Republic of Dagestan remained loyal to Russia but the region soon became infamous because of corruption and lawlessness.</p>

<p><strong>1990s:</strong> Separatist elements from Chechnya conduct armed attacks in Dagestan multiple times.</p>

<p><strong>1995-1996:</strong> Forces led by the Chechens take hundreds of hostages in hospital located in the Dagestani towns of Budennovsk and Kizlyar. Large number of people die in these attacks.</p>

<p><strong>2007-2017:</strong> Islamist insurgency in North Caucasus causes conflict with Russian forces. Post 2015, Russian forces also battle with Islamic State fighters. Such fights mostly remain concentrated in Chechnya, Ingushetia, Dagestan and Kabardino-Balkaria.</p>

<p><strong>2010:</strong> Russia alleges Dagestani fighter Magomed Vagabov is responsible for the suicide attack in Moscow metro. Shortly afterward, Russian forces kill Vagabov in Dagestan</p>

<p><strong>2017:</strong> Russia's internal intelligence agency FSB says last outfit of insurgents in the North Caucasus has been destroyed.</p>

<p><strong>2022:</strong> Clashes erupt in Makhachkala. Protesters clash with police as they oppose Moscow's call-up of military reservists in order to help Russian war effort in Ukraine. The protesters also express there anger over the death of large number of Dagestani servicemen in the Ukraine war.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />
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We all have our favorite subjects in school. For some, it is Geography. But for all our mugging (and reading after school years) there comes a time when a name stumps us.

We all have our favorite subjects in school. For some, it is Geography. But for all our mugging (and reading after school years) there comes a time when a name stumps us. Is it a country? Is it a province? Don't feel bad if you felt the same way when you heard 'Dagestan' because there are many like you who had to come down from their perch which had the tag 'knowledgeable'. Before we delve deeper, take it as a working idea that Dagestan is a place. This will help in quickly explaining why it is in news before going into more detail. Why is Dagestan in news? Anti-Israel protesters stormed an airport in Makhachkala (a place in Dagestan) on Sunday (October 30). This resulted in quite a chaos and twenty people were injured. The protesters numbered in hundreds. After some efforts. securty forces were able to control the situation and remove the demonstrators from the scene. The incident has been noticed across the world. Russia said that the protest and ensuing chaos was caused due to "outside influence". Israel expressed concerns and urged Russia to protect Israelis in Dagestan and also inside the airport. Now, why are nations turning to Russia when there's a situation in what sounds like the name of a country (Dagestan)? Read on to know more. What is Dagestan? Although the name Dagestan or the word 'Republic of Dagestan' tempts us into declaring it a country, Dagestan is a province of Russia, within the Russian Federation. It does not matter that the official name is 'Republic of Dagestan'. The province is the southernmost tip of the largest country in the world. Where exactly is Dagestan? (Image: Wikimedia Commons) Dagestan translates as "land of the mountains'. It is a mountainous territory located in the eastern part of the North Caucasus. Dagestan has Georgia and Chechnya to the west and Azerbaijan to the south. To its east is Caspian Sea. Some places in the mountainous terrain are so high and unreachable, you'll only have take a helicopter in order to reach there. What about ethnicity in Dagestan? The mainly Muslim republic of Dagestan is ethnically and linguistically a varied region. The diversity is so rich, that its Russia's most diverse region. Sample this. There are at least 40 different ethnicities in Dagestan. More than 30 languages are spoken here. The Avars are the largest ethnicity. They form about a fifth of the population in the province. After the Avars, there is a sizeable presence of Dargins, Kumyks and Lezgins. The republic within the Russian Federation has a population of about 3.2 million, say official figures from the Russian government. About 10 per cent of the population is ethnically Russian. What is the capital of Dagestan? It's Makhachkala. And if the word sounds familiar then the chaos at the airport mentioned in the beginning took place in this city. It is located on Dagestan's Caspian Sea coast. It was conquered by the Russian Imperial Army in the 19th century. It was a major pre-revolutionary trading port. In present times, Dagestan is a conduit for major oil and gas pipelines going from the Caspian Sea to the Russian heartland. Dagestan itself has oil and gas reserves. Watch | Israel-Palestine war: Protesters storm Russia's Dagestan airport in search of Israelis × However, the region witnesses organised crime and is part of Russian region that's unstable. Russian security forces battled an armed insurgency for almost a decade till 2017. They fought various Islamist militant groups in Dagestan, neighbouring Ingushetia and Chechnya. Imam Shamil, a 19th-century Islamic fighter who has a legendary halo around him was born in Dagestan. He resisted Russian rule for 25 years in the 19th century. Today, many places and streets in the region are named after him. A quick look at Dagestan's situation 20th century onwards 1920s: Dagestan becomes an autonomous republic within the Russian Federation as USSR attempts to gain control in the Caucasus. 1991: As the Soviet Union fell, authorities in the Republic of Dagestan remained loyal to Russia but the region soon became infamous because of corruption and lawlessness. 1990s: Separatist elements from Chechnya conduct armed attacks in Dagestan multiple times. 1995-1996: Forces led by the Chechens take hundreds of hostages in hospital located in the Dagestani towns of Budennovsk and Kizlyar. Large number of people die in these attacks. 2007-2017: Islamist insurgency in North Caucasus causes conflict with Russian forces. Post 2015, Russian forces also battle with Islamic State fighters. Such fights mostly remain concentrated in Chechnya, Ingushetia, Dagestan and Kabardino-Balkaria. 2010: Russia alleges Dagestani fighter Magomed Vagabov is responsible for the suicide attack in Moscow metro. Shortly afterward, Russian forces kill Vagabov in Dagestan 2017: Russia's internal intelligence agency FSB says last outfit of insurgents in the North Caucasus has been destroyed. 2022: Clashes erupt in Makhachkala. Protesters clash with police as they oppose Moscow's call-up of military reservists in order to help Russian war effort in Ukraine. The protesters also express there anger over the death of large number of Dagestani servicemen in the Ukraine war. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Explained | What and where is Dagestan, why is it in news?

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