MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday likened Ukraine’s ongoing incursion into Russia’s Kursk region to the 2004 Beslan school massacre, a tragic event in which over 330 people died in a hostage siege orchestrated by Chechen militants.
Putin’s remarks came during his visit to the memorials in Beslan, marking his first visit in nearly two decades. The Russian leader paid tribute to the victims at various sites, including a cemetery and the ruins of the school where the siege took place.
During the siege, more than 1,000 people were held hostage, with the ordeal culminating in a violent confrontation between Russian forces and the militants.
Meeting with mothers who lost children in the attack, Putin drew a parallel between the Chechen militants who carried out the Beslan attack and what he described as Ukraine’s efforts to destabilize Russia.
Referring to the recent cross-border offensive by Ukraine in the Kursk region, Putin asserted that the country is facing threats similar to those encountered during the Beslan siege.
“Just as we fought the terrorists, today we have to fight those who are carrying out crimes in the Kursk region,” Putin said. He emphasized, “But just as we achieved our goals in the fight with terrorism, we will achieve these goals also in this direction in the fight with neo-Nazis,” signaling a continued hardline stance against threats from Ukraine.
Putin pledged that Russia would not only resist but “punish the criminals,” reinforcing his government’s commitment to addressing what it views as external threats to national security.
The Beslan school siege, which took place in September 2004, lasted approximately 50 hours and ended with a storming of the building by Russian special forces after explosions were triggered.
At the meeting with the Mothers of Beslan group, who have long sought a thorough investigation into the attack and the subsequent response, co-chairwoman Aneta Gadiyeva reported that Putin acknowledged the need for further action on the investigation.
