Persoverzicht Tsjetsjenië - april 2012

• 2012-05-04
• Europa in de wereld

Persoverzicht Tsjetsjenië - april 2012

2 april 2012

British intelligence agency warns of Zakayev murder plot: According to British media reports, British intelligence agency MI5 issued a warning that Chechen separatist emissary Akhmed Zakayev, who is residing in the UK, could be the target of a murder plot. (Kommersant, MN, MT)

FSB officer killed in Ingushetia: (i) Federal Security Service (FSB) officer Alikhan Yandiyev was killed in a car explosion on Friday in Nazran. (ii) Two policemen were killed in an attack on Saturday in Dagestan. (Interfax, Kommersant)

3 april 2012

Three militants killed in Dagestan: (i) Three militants were killed in an operation in Dagestan. According to the National Antiterrorism Committee, the militants were members of an armed group led by a Turkish mercenary. (ii) A police officer was killed in an attack late on Monday in Kabardino-Balkaria's Baksan district. (ITAR-TASS, Kommersant)

5 april 2012

At least 15 militants killed in North Caucasus: At least 15 militants have been killed in separate operations in Ingushetia, Dagestan and Kabardino-Balkaria. The National Antiterrorism Committee said that so-called suicide bomber belts have been found on the bodies of two of the five militants killed in an operation in Ingushetia. Six militants killed in Dagestan reportedly were members of a militant group led by a Turkish mercenary. One Interior Troops serviceman was killed in the operation in Dagestan. Four militants involved in a series of attacks were killed in an operation in Kabardino-Balkaria on Wednesday. (Interfax, ITAR-TASS, Kommersant; Ekho Moskvy)

6 april 2012

More than 200 terror attacks prevented in past two years: (i) The National Antiterrorist Committee said on Thursday that more than 200 terrorism related crimes have been prevented in Russia in the past two years. (ii) Four police officers were injured in an explosion yesterday in Ingushetia. (iii) Dailies report on mine-clearing efforts in Chechnya. (NG, RG)

11 april 2012

Nine militants killed in Stavropol territory:(i) A large-scale operation has been carried out by law enforcement officers in the Stavropol territory (North Caucasus). Five militants were killed in a clash in the town of Mineralnye Vody on Tuesday and four militants were killed in a separate firefight late on Monday in the Neftekumsk district. Law enforcement agencies said the militants killed had been members of the Neftekumsk gang and had been planning attacks on Orthodox Easter, celebrated on 15 April, and during the May holidays next month. (ii) Izvestia reports that three local workers who have been killed in a recent operation in Ingushetia were not militants. (Izvestia, Kommersant, RIAN)

13 april 2012

North Caucasus militant leader charged in Putin assassination plot: According to Kommersant, North Caucasus militant leader Doku Umarov has been charged in absentia with masterminding a plot to assassinate PM Vladimir Putin. The daily recalls that Adam Osmayev and Ilya Pyanzin, who were arrested in Ukraine in February on suspicion of planning an attempt on Putin's life, had confessed that they were acting on the orders from Doku Umarov. The suspects also confessed to planning to kill Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. (Kommersant)

Officials' income declarations published:Information about the income declarations for 2011 of Government members and Presidential Administration officials was made public on Thursday. President Dmitry Medvedev earned about RUR3.4 million last year. PM and President-elect Vladimir Putin's income was about RUR 3.7 million (or RUR1.3 million less than in 2010). Deputy PM, Presidential envoy to the North Caucasus Federal District Alexander Khloponin, who sold some shares last year, earned around RUR484 million (more than $16 million) and won the status of richest Cabinet member. He is followed by Natural Resources Minister Yury Trutnev (RUR211.6 million). Olga Shuvalova, the wife of First Deputy PM Igor Shuvalov, is the richest among officials' spouses: she earned almost RUR365 million (about $12 million) in 2011. The wife of Deputy PM Vladislav Surkov, Natalia Dubovitskaya, declared an income of RUR125 million (4 million). Meanwhile, Nezavisimaya Gazeta recalls that President Medvedev has recently submitted a draft bill to control public servants' expenditures. (Gazeta.ru, Izvestia, Kommersant, MN, MT, NG, RBK daily, RG, Vedomosti)

16 april 2012

Blasts hit Makhachkala, Sochi; suspects in failed terror attack strike deal with investigation?: (i) An FSB officer was injured and his wife was killed in an explosion on Monday morning in Makhachkala (capital of Dagestan). At least one person was injured in a separate explosion in Makhachkala on Sunday. No casualties were reported in an explosion on Sunday in Sochi which will host the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. (ii) Kommersant reports that Zeynap Suyunova and Timur Akubekov, who are suspected of involvement in preparations of a terrorist attack in Moscow on New Year's Eve of 2011, have signed pre-trial cooperation agreements with investigators. (Gazeta.ru, Interfax, Kommersant; Ekho Moskvy)

20 april 2012

MinFin disagrees with Putin and Medvedev on use of extra revenue/central office of Eurasian Economic Commission: The Finance Ministry (MinFin) has refused to accept numerous proposals for the allocation of additional budget revenues of RUR512bn (mostly from the higher world oil price) for various purposes. For instance, the Ministry disagrees to spend RUR30bn on the organization of public television, as President Medvedev requested, and to contribute RUR55bn, as he proposed, to the Housing and Communal Services Fund. The Ministry is against PM and President-elect Putin's proposals to spend extra RUR24bn on dwelling for war veterans, to add RUR9bn to the Investment Fund, and to allocate RUR5bn more on the North Caucasus. The Finance Ministry is against 1st Deputy PM Shuvalov's proposals to spend RUR8.3bn to buy a building on Arbat Square in central Moscow for offices of the Eurasian Economic Commission, and to allocate extra RUR30bn on Skolkovo. The Finance Ministry is ready to accept a spending of a third of all the requested funds, and proposes to direct most of the additional revenue on the reduction of the federal budget deficit. (Vedomosti)

23 april 2012

Southern Federal District to be disbanded?: According to Nezavisimaya Gazeta, the Southern Federal District may soon be disbanded. The Astrakhan and Volgograd regions and the Republic of Kalmykia could be included in the Privolzhsky Federal District, while the Rostov region, the Krasnodar territory and Adygeya could become part of the North Caucasus Federal District. The capital of the North Caucasus Federal District may be moved from Pyatigorsk to Rostov-on-Don. (NG)

Chechen prime minister to get a post in North Caucasus Federal District?: (i) Dailies do not rule out that Chechen PM Odes Baisultanov, who has occupied this post for five years, could be appointed as deputy envoy to the North Caucasus Federal District. Commenting on possible candidates to replace Baisultanov, an unnamed source told RBK daily that former mayor of Grozny Oleg Zhidkov is unlikely to be appointed as Chechnya's new PM. (ii) Two police officers and two militants were killed in a clash in Chechnya's Gudermes district on Sunday. (ITAR-TASS, Kommersant, RBK daily, ITAR-TASS)

24 april 2012

At least 11 militants killed in Dagestan and Chechnya: The National Antiterrorist Committee said on Monday that at least 11 militants have been killed over the past 24 hours in Dagestan and Chechnya. (Interfax, Lenta.ru)

26 april 2012

Stavropolgovernor may resign – press:(i) Vedomosti does not rule out that Stavropol governor Valery Gayevsky may soon resign. Experts speak of strained relations between Gayevsky and Presidential envoy to the North Caucasus Federal District Alexander Khloponin and recall a recent hunger strike launched in the town of Lermontov in the Stavropol territory after several candidates were barred from running in local elections. (ii) President Dmitry Medvedev has nominated Duma deputy from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) Alexei Ostrovsky for the post of Smolensk governor. Medvedev has nominated head of Roskomnadzor (Russia's telecoms supervisory agency) Sergey Sitnikov for the post of Kostroma governor. (iii) The Duma yesterday passed a third and final reading of a draft bill on direct gubernatorial elections. The bill provides for a so-called 'municipal filter' for candidates for governor post. (Gazeta.ru, Kommersant, RG, Vedomosti)

27 april 2012

Journalist beaten up in Dagestan: Correspondent of the Dagestani newspaper 'Nastoyashcheye vremya' ('Present Time') Ruslan Gereyev was beaten up on Tuesday in Makhachkala. Gereyev and his colleagues link the attack to his professional activity. (Novaya Gazeta)