Gunmen in Dagestan’s two largest cities — the regional capital, Makhachkala, and Derbent — targeted a police post, two Orthodox churches and a synagogue, killing 21 people, including an Orthodox priest and 16 police officers.
Its attempts to distract from a possible connection may hint at the growing vulnerability of President Vladimir Putin, whose attention and resources are focused squarely on the war in Ukraine and those who oppose it inside Russia.
In March, at least 144 people were killed at the Crocus concert hall near Moscow in a terrorist operation claimed by ISIS-K.