16 March 2025, 20:47
Analysts assess Dagestani head’s statement on appeals of SMO fighters
The appeals of the participants of the special military operation (SMO) in Ukraine from Dagestan to republic’s authorities are caused by many local problems and remain one of the ways to attract officials’ attention. Despite the statement by the head of Dagestan, Sergey Melikov, that the combatants record their appeals as a result of "manipulations," he will have to respond to them, analysts believe.
The actions of those who try to manipulate SMO fighters and send them messages asking them to record video appeals addressed to Dagestani authorities will be harshly suppressed, Mr Melikov has promised.
On March 5, SMO fighters from the Rutulsky District and local residents called on the authorities to prevent the construction of a water intake in the Lalaan River valley, as this will deprive villagers of access to the river. Earlier, an appeal was posted from SMO combatants from that district of Dagestan, who complained about the inflated food prices and corruption in the purchase of housing for orphans.
Melikov's words indicate his personal fatigue from appeals received from the frontline, believes Shamil Khadulaev, Chairman of the Dagestani Public Oversight Commission (POC). He does not rule out that the residents of the republic, in an attempt to speed up the resolution of their problems, are manipulatively trying to attract support of SMO fighters.
"Here's an example. An SMO fighter said that an elderly woman's gas supply was cut off in some village, I published this appeal, literally a few minutes later they called me and said that the local authorities are already solving the problem," said Khadulaev.
He excludes that from now on appeals from SMO participants regarding purely local problems will have no priority for authorities.
Magomed Shamilov, Chairman of the Independent Trade Union of Internal Affairs and Prosecutor's Office Workers, has indicated that the appeals of SMO fighters to Sergey Melikov are caused by a mass of unresolved problems in Dagestan.
Earlier, Dagestani SMO fighters twice asked Melikov not to arrange a dump near the Sarykum Dune. The head of Dagestan did not respond to their appeals, and treated the residents' protests against the waste processing factory as a provocation. Fighters from the village of Rubas in the Derbent District asked to build a kindergarten in the village. The head of the republic also failed to react to the appeal.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on March 14, 2025 at 06:00 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Author: Roman Kuzhev Source: СK correspondent
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