Week in the Caucasus: review of main events of July 8-14, 2024

Forest fires in Kuban, drone attacks, persecution of pacifists and activists in Southern Russia, about niqabs, and official data on the natives of Southern Russia who perished in Ukraine, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of July 8-14, 2024, prepared by the “Caucasian Knot”.

Forest fires in Kuban

On July 14, a forest fire began near the Durso farm, after which the fire spread to the territory of a recreation centre, and by the evening, the fire area reached 51 hectares.

About 500 people were evacuated from three recreation centres in the fire zone, reported Novorossiysk Mayor Andrei Kravchenko. According to the Mayor’s report, volunteers joined in extinguishing the fire. A state of emergency has been announced in the city.

“Extinguishing of the fire is being complicated by strong gusts of wind,” the Mayor of Novorossiysk noted in his Telegram channel. Andrei Kravchenko called on motorcycle owners to help transport water to the firefighting site.

On July 7, a fire occurred in Inal Bay in the Tuapse District. People are being evacuated from nearby recreation centres, reported Sergey Boiko, the head of the Tuapse District, in his Telegram channel. On July 8, rescuers completely extinguished the fire, the area of which reached 1.2 hectares. Arson was mentioned as a possible cause of the fire.

Drone attacks

By July 8, 198 residents of a house in the city of Primorsko-Akhtarsk had submitted applications for financial assistance, the press service for the regional Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergencies reported. The ruins of the damaged house is being cleared.

On July 5, a three-storey house in Primorsko-Akhtarsk was damaged during a drone attack. Four adults and two minor girls were injured, one of whom died in hospital.

On July 9, the Russian air defence forces neutralized 21 drones in the Rostov Region and five drones in the Astrakhan Region, the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) reported. In the Volgograd Region, fires broke out at an oil depot in Kalach-on-Don and at the electrical substation in Frolovo. In the Rostov Region, the electrical substation in the Rodionovo-Nesvetaysky District caught fire.

On July 13, a fire broke out at an oil depot in the Tsimlyansky District after a drone attack, the local authorities reported. According to the preliminary information, there are no dead or injured.

Persecution of pacifists and activists in Southern Russia

On July 10, the Leninsky District Court of Krasnodar fined local resident Dmitry Polyakov 30,000 roubles for holding a solo picket with a pacifist poster.

Sochi activist Vladimir Atamanchuk cannot get information from an investigator in his case to learn what exactly words voiced by him became the reason for institution of a criminal case for contempt of court. The absence of the above information in the decision to institute the case contradicts the law, lawyers state.

Vladimir Atamanchuk went to the Lazarevskoye District Court to examine the case, but a fire occurred in the building. The Sochi activist asked an evacuated employee what happened to the criminal cases, to which the employee replied that all the cases had been probably destroyed by the fire.

About niqabs

On July 8, the Mufti of Dagestan announced the abolition of the department of fatwas and reconciliation at the Muftiate of Dagestan, since the department “did not respond in a timely manner to the challenges of the time.”

On July 3, the Muftiate of Dagestan temporarily banned niqabs pending a new theological conclusion. Pluralism of opinions is typical for Islam, but the abolition of the department of fatwas and reconciliation at the Muftiate of Dagestan became a sign of the Mufti's intolerance of dissent and a split on the issue of the niqab, religious scholars and journalists suggest.

The Chief Spiritual Administration of Muslims (SAM) of North Ossetia recommended women to abandon wearing niqabs, announced Ibragim Dzagurov, the Deputy Mufti of North Ossetia. He has noted it is impossible to impose a complete ban on wearing niqabs due to the law on freedom of conscience and religious associations.

In North Ossetia, journalists and bloggers believe there is no connection between extremism and clothing, and to counter extremism, it is necessary to develop civil institutions and improve living standards.

Meanwhile, the Coordination Centre for Muslims of Northern Caucasus called on the President of Russia and the Russian State Duma not to accept a draft law proposed by Russian State Duma Vice Speaker Vladislav Davankov on the ban on religious clothing. The Muftis of Northern Caucasus stated that the ban on religious clothing would violate the rights of believers. In their comments, social media users note that the initiative voiced by Vladislav Davankov has already provoked a split in society.

Official data on natives of Southern Russia perished in Ukraine

By July 14, the authorities and the law enforcement bodies reported about at least 4422 residents of Southern Russia perished in Ukraine, including 2155 residents of the North-Caucasian Federal District (NCFD) and 2267 residents of the Southern Federal District (SFD).

In Dagestan, the authorities reported about 943 local residents perished in Ukraine, in the Volgograd Region – 837, in the Rostov Region – 488, in the Krasnodar Territory – 451, in the Stavropol Territory – 440, in the Astrakhan Region – 345, in North Ossetia – 293, in Chechnya – 191, in Kabardino-Balkaria – 151, in Kalmykia – 88, in Ingushetia – 72, in Karachay-Cherkessia – 65, and in Adygea – 58.