Not a single day passes without the Kremlin’s talking heads finding yet another scapegoat to explain the tragedies of Russia’s own making.

In a timely example of pro-Kremlin finger-pointing, disinformers quickly spread baseless allegations that Ukrainian intelligence and NATO countries masterminded the terror attacks in Dagestan.

These false claims are part of recurring pro-Kremlin narratives that portray Ukraine as a ‘terrorist regime’ and accuse the West of ‘supporting terrorist organizations’ in the Middle East.

Furthermore, these narratives blame civilian casualties in Russia, resulting from its invasion of Ukraine, on the West’s support for Ukraine’s self-defence. It’s important to remember that Russian disinformation has a history of attributing terrorist attacks in Russia and the targeting of religious communities to external forces.

This tactic aims to deflect responsibility from the Kremlin, obscure the inadequacies of Russian security services, and foster mistrust towards Western countries and Ukraine.

In the aftermath of the Crocus City Hall terrorist attack, the pro-Kremlin disinformation ecosystem has attempted to capitalize on the tragedy to foment anti-Ukrainian and anti-Western attitudes in Kazakhstan. They spread false claims that the ‘West had initiated a terrorist campaign‘ in Russia and Central Asia, aiming to manipulate public sentiment and shift any blame away from the Kremlin.

As usual, there is no credible evidence to support claims about ‘Western interference’ in the alleged plot in Kazakhstan or anywhere else. This narrative is a localized version of a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation fantasy suggesting a Western policy of staging ‘colour revolutions’ worldwide with the aim of ‘destabilizing Russia’. Narratives like this are another case of projection, as Russia’s destabilizing activities within Europe and elsewhere are well-documented facts.

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