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Francis Report 01-11 Dave Francis Dave Francis St. Petersburg, Russia – A horrific blast in Dagestan was on the mind of the Russian government as the country celebrated Victory Day this year. Victory Day, celebrated every 9th of May in commemoration of the allied victory over Nazi Germany in WWII, or as it is known here, The Great Patriotic War, was marred by the news of a deadly bombing in Dagestan during a similar celebration. At least 34 people have died, and more than 150 were wounded when the bomb exploded in Kaspiysk, Dagestan in an attack that that Russian security forces are quick to pin on the terrorist fighters in Chechnya that have been battling with Russian troops for years. Chechnya borders Dagestan, and there are a lot of connections between radical Islamic groups in the two areas. Military veterans, musicians playing in a marching band, and children in attendance were among those murdered as the blast from a mine ripped through the crowd. At least 19 soldiers are among the dead. "I think that few people can have any doubt about this being an act of terrorism," said Russian President Vladimir Putin, after a meeting with his security chiefs. Putin said the terrorist attack, which was committed on "the most dear of all holidays... was committed by scum who hold nothing sacred.” He also compared the attackers to the Nazis, “We have every right to treat them as Nazis, whose sole aim was to spread death, sow fear and to murder," he said. Dagestan announced that Friday, May 10th would be a day of mourning. There was also an attack in Grozny, the capital of Chechnya during a Victory Day celebration. No casualties have been reported from the stadium where the celebration was being held. In St. Petersburg, security was very tight along the parade route. Nevsky Prospekt, the main street through the city was lined with police officials and soldiers. Spetznatz troops, the Russian Special Forces, were in full camouflage gear as they circulated through the crowd, eyeing people as they searched for signs of an attack rumored to be planned against St. Petersburg. After the veterans, bands, and military units marched, they were trailed by a motley collection of communists, skinheads, and fascists waving various flags. The spectators seemed to pay them very little mind as most people wound their way through the streets to the Hermitage, where there was a concert on the square. Buses of soldiers waited in the shadows in case they were needed, and hundreds of soldiers and policemen wandered through the crowd, but the day came off peacefully. More than 27 million Russians died in WWII, and Victory Day is the most honored national holiday in the country. Russia still feels the pain of the war, as virtually every family lost someone. Here in St. Petersburg, there are many survivors who suffered 900 days of siege, with thousands of deaths due to the cold, lack of medicines and other deprivations. The starvation became so acute that the animals from the zoo were eaten, and eventually cannibalism became a problem. These wounds run deeply through the society, which has suffered another blow from the fall of communism in the 90’s. Victory Day is one of the few days of joy for a lot of the older citizens, who have been hit hardest by the societies setbacks in the recent years. Dave Francis |