Explosion on Trolleybus in Volgograd Kills at Least 10

[itsrobert]

Source: RIA NOVOSTI

VOLGOGRAD, December 30 (RIA Novosti) – An explosion went off on a trolleybus in Russia’s southern city of Volgograd on Monday morning, killing at least 10 people in the second fatal blast in the city over the past day.
A bomb explosion at a railway station in Volgograd on Sunday afternoon killed 17 people, in what authorities said was an attack by a suicide bomber.
Investigators have arrived at the location of the trolleybus explosion.
Russia’s Investigative Committee Spokesman Vladimir Markin said that Monday’s explosion may also be the result of a terrorist attack.

Read more: http://en.ria.ru/russia/20131230/186075824/Explosion-on-Trolleybus-in-Volgograd-Kills-at-Least-10.html

[Comrade Grumpy]

1. The ghosts of Chechyna come back to bite Putin in the ass.

[joshcryer]

6. I expect a hard line response.

As well as an escalation.

And the Saudi's funding this shit will keep getting a pass...

[NYC_SKP]

2. Wow, a second attack. They found the train station's bomber's head earlier.

A picture was posted on a Russian news site, her expression was curiously peaceful.

Is this all about the Olympics, I mean the timing of it?

[freshwest]

3. The Olympics bring international media attention, so terrorists expect more attention, likely.

If they are reactionaries, and most of them are, they are the opposition to gays participating in the games. And may see the games, gays, anything that smacks of western influence as a plot against religion or sovereignty. So they attack.

More likely to be the former reason, wanting to use the media attention to push a separatist agenda. IDK. It was a odd for the OP article to say they 'suspected terrorism.'

Suicide bombers are fanatics who intend to kill someone for criminal or terrorist purposes. It's not even the preferred WMD among the wildest gun fans. It's terrorism. Russia had similar incidents in the past.

We appear to have lucked out to not have the level of social disintegration that allows that to grow. It may come to that one day. But I'd much prefer the beck bunker bumpkins over a suicide bomber any day...

[dipsydoodle]

10. Sochi will be "bolted down" for the Olympics

to help prevent terrorist attacks there. Its already being spoken of as the highest level of security ever imposed in Russia. That's even to the extent of only locally registered cars being allowed in the vicinity of any of the games.

What is considered likely is that there will be attacks elsewhere across Russia by the Chechnya / Dagestan Islamic radicals to draw attention to their cause while the media's attention is focused on Russia.

[freshwest]

20. And so it is.

[MADem]

24. This attack signals that they'll have to bolt down every "feeder" transport area as well.

People coming by plane, train and automobile, from within and without Russia, are probably gonna be scrutinized up the wazoo.

The "gate rape" of the TSA will probably look like a gentle questioning, by comparison. I'll bet there will be stories a-plenty.

Obama is smart to skip this clusterfuck.

[happyslug]

4. Volgograd former name was Stalingrad

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volgograd

It was know as "Tsaritsyn" from the 1580s till 1925 (Stalin had help defend the city during the Russian Civil War 1918-1921). Its present name was adopted in 1961, but since the dissolution of the Soviet Union the locals have started a campaign to rename it Stalingrad.

On January 31, 2013, the Volgograd City Council passed a measure to use the name "Stalingrad" in city statements on six specific dates annually.[14][15] On the following dates Volgograd's name officially reverts to Stalingrad:

February 2 (end of the Battle of Stalingrad),

May 9 (Victory Day (9 May)),

This is the official end of the War with Germany, Germany surrendered on May 8 and on that date told to reporters with orders NOT to release it till the next day. One reporter did announced on May 8, thus in the West the Date of the End of War in Europe is May 8, but Russia May 9th. The reason the Allies agreed to May 9, was to give Russia another day to fulfill Stalin Promise at Yalta to attack Japan within three months of the end of War in Europe, Russia Attacked Japan on August 9, three months to the day if you go by the end of WWII on May 9th, 1945.

June 22 (start of Operation Barbarossa),

Operation Barbarossa, Italian for Red Beard, the Name Given to Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II whose fight with the papacy was legendary, thus the name was adopted by Hitler for the Invasion of Russia.

August 23 (start of the Battle of Stalingrad),
September 2 (Victory over Japan Day), and

November 19 (start of Operation Uranus).[16]

This is the date the Soviet Red Army launched its huge counter attack the ended up surrounding the German VI Army inside Stalingrad, and sealed its doom.

In addition, 50,000 people signed a petition to Vladimir Putin, asking that the city's name be permanently changed to Stalingrad.[14]

Do to it being the site of the Largest Battle ever fought, it has been a point of terrorist attacks for the last ten years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volgograd

[joshcryer]

5. The last attack was almost a decade ago though.

While you're technically correct, it's fucked they have had two in two days...

[iamthebandfanman]

8. truly sad

that a city should have to go through so much violence in such a short period of history..

[moondust]

7. About 425 miles from Sochi.

Pretty close considering Russia is huge.

[iamthebandfanman]

9. Sochi

is a heckava lot closer to the Ossetia region and Chechnya than Stalingrad to boot...

[dipsydoodle]

11. I don't understand the Ossetia reference.

South Ossetians wanted independence from Georgia. The US and Israel contrived with Saakashvili, the President of Georgia at the time of the Ossetia crisis, to help prevent that and failed. Margvelashvili, the current President of Georgia, is content to let sleeping dogs lie now.

Ossetians are largely Eastern Orthodox Christians : not Muslim.

[joshcryer]

12. North Ossetia is as much as 40% Sunni Muslim.

The poster may not have been referring to South Ossetia specifically.

Note: 95% of South Ossetians voted for independence. Whether the US and Israel "contrived" to support a peoples self-determination of course is ... irrelevant. But that isn't material to the discussion. edit: amusingly one of the communist leaders in Venezuela supported South Ossetia in their independence... US / Israel / Venezuela convergence? Insanity.

[dipsydoodle]

13. Don't think there's much difference between north and south

which are separated only by a tunnel.

US and Israel didn't contrive to support a peoples self-determination with respect to Ossetia : they contrived to stop it wanting it to remain part of Georgia. That may have been part of a deal with Saakavilli in connection with wanting Georgia to be part of NATO.

So - "the communist leader in Venezuela" was at odds with the others : not supporting them.

[joshcryer]

14. Wait I thought the US sided with the independence vote?

If that's not correct I apologize. 99% voted for independence. The vote was just summarily dismissed even though there is no evidence of fraud.

Anyway, my Islam statement is predicated on this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_North_Ossetia–Alania

The (pretty decent) Google translate of the cite supports the wide estimate.

I'm not saying I agree with this interpretation, it's probably Chech with Saudi backed money doing it. I was merely saying why I thought that poster might make that statement.

According to links I'm finding Chechnya is in the same boat as North Ossetia, being part of the overall "North Caucasus" region: http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/30/world/europe/russia-terrorist-attacks-explainer/

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/photography-blog/2013/dec/12/russia-sochi-winter-olympics-photos

I think you went on the defensive over the Georgia-Russian conflict being offended in the prospect that that conflict is what caused these attacks. I'm sure that's a simplistic view in any event.

[dipsydoodle]

15. I mentioned Ossetia

only in context to the other post which mentioned it because I couldn't see any association - still can't.

North Caucasus is just a geographic area which happens to include countries mentioned so far and others too.

On the subject of separatism in general see this from yesterday : http://en.ria.ru/russia/20131229/186063866/Putin-Signs-Law-Punishing-Separatism-with-Jail.html

[joshcryer]

16. Putin sure does know how to channel nationalism.

He'll need it if these attacks continue.

[iamthebandfanman]

21. You dont have to be a muslim

to be a 'terrorist'.. firstly...


and secondly, I mention the Ossetia region because it has been a troubled area..
id imagine any region where conflicts have existed, in a fairly recent timeframe, could produce detractors with at least the notion of violent actions against the state if not the ability and motivation to act.. thus an increased chance of violence involving the Olympics.

the Olympics are a big platform to get in the international news ...

[dipsydoodle]

23. Ossetia's issues were with Georgia : not Russia.

If you've got a link to indicate otherwise then please post it.

[cosmicone]

17. This is getting to be similar to

constant Pakistani terrorist attacks in Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Pune.

Hopefully Putin will resolve them with decisiveness and lead to a blue-print for other nations to follow.

[SQUEE]

18. Oh, like Hinds And Hips blowing the shit out of villages

And Spesnatz raids on supected militants? Russian counter-terror Ops are definitely not a model for anyone to follow.

[MADem]

19. Putin's propaganda media arm has posted video of the moment

of the blast. It is from some distance away, and all you see are a blast of fire from within the station and smoke, but it is still obvious that it was a pretty powerful explosion.

http://rt.com/news/explosion-russia-video-volgograd-941/

[dipsydoodle]

22. Yes but BBC and Sky had that yesterday

It was Russia who released it : not their internationsl new service.