OSINT REPORT.Pdf

FOREWORD For three years Ukraine has been standing on This paper is about one more front line that the front line in the conflict with Russia. This Kremlin did not declare publicly to the world. front line stretches not only across the Crimean Russia traditionally has interests in the Middle Peninsula and Donbass but to other regions East and the Central Asia. The share of beyong Ukraine. Muslim population in Russia is still growing. Today Kremlin is trying to use elements of This process stimulates spreading of radical hybrid war everywhere: in Europe, Middle East, religious thoughts. Central Asia, North Africa and America. Such cocktail of internal problems and foreign Many people do not understand the motives, policy ambitions has reccessitated the policy or logic behind the actions, further steps. Often position of Russia. such strategy seems to be illogical, full of Now, we stand at the precipice of time, with emotions and unpredictable. But it is not like the Russian destructive aggression view. This that. Russia is pushed ahead by the desire to would ultimately spread to other parts of the restore the greatness of empire at any price. world. I hope this piece of work by Ukrainian This desire is multiplied by internal economic experts, specializing in Russian studies helps problems inside Russia. to provide a timely warning. For successful forecasting the future actions of the Kremlin, one should thoroughly investigate the lifestyle within the Russian Society, study the Sociopolitical undercurrents facilitating policies, and the mentality or reasonability of the Russian elites. In Ukraine, we know better we have lived to long under the reign of the Russian empire, and ultimately paid a high price for the knowledge acquired. Russian state establishment has got protests, especially among the local communication channels with main terrorist youth. It is also interested in the control groups in the Middle East and Central Asia over the Muslim community and its including Al Qaeda and ISIS, likely to be psycological condition. used by Kremlin to coordinate efforts in order to fulfill foreign and internal policy The process of detection and isolation goals. Through this channels Moscow of those believers who are ready to provides the outflow of radical elements follow radical Islamic ideology, Jihad from Russia to local conflict zones abroad and to join terrorist organizations, to minimize internal risks concerning the is the priority of Russian security The large territory of Muslims in the country. agencies. Muslim residence and their growing number make it impossible to use the standard practice of surveillance via agent network effectively. Thus,the authorities use the method of testing The US National Council on believer’s individual adherence to intelligence in its 2012 “Global trends radical Islam and views through 2030: Alternative worlds” report provocative propaganda in mosques considers the reduction in number that are under their control. of ethnic Russians and growth in the Nowadays, Russian authorities number of Muslims in the state to use radical Muslim ideology and be the main demographic challenge communication channels with for Russia. As of today, Russia has terrorist groups abroad to reduce approximately 20 million Muslims, their the number of extremist elements, number will increase by 19% by 2030. potential jihadists and supporters This trend will lead to the social tension of radical Islam inside Russia. The growth and ethic and religious conflicts Kremlin can minimize internal threats inside Russia. Damir Muhetdinov, through the export of fighters from the first deputy Head of Muslim’s radical Muslims areas of Russia Spiritual Administration of the Russian outside its boundaries. Federation claimed that in 2050 the President of Russia might be a Muslim Russian military and political leadership in view of the dominance of Muslim have resorted to the expelling of population. extremist elements out of the state borders in order to minimize the risks The situation and risks of violence within its territory and create trouble in Caucasus on the ISIS activity spots in other parts of the world, thus background in the Middle East, fulfilling its geopolitical and military extreme high unemployment rate in the tasks. Caucasus region, like Ingushetia (30.7% in August this year), Chechnya (17.1%) and Karachaevo-Cherkessia (15.2%) makes it vital for Kremlin to reduce threats and the level of tensions and Russia’s communication and collaboration 4 with terrorist organizations in the Middle East RUSSIAN TIES WITH ISIS The Mufti Council of Russia, established in 1996, promotes radical ideology in communities under its control to detect the most dangerous or ready to jihad-ready-believers among the citizens. In 2008, a high profile case of the MCR publishing extremist literature took place in Russia. There are multiple proofs of the distribution of jihadist literature in mosques by the Council controlled Muftis. The adherence to radical Islam triggered the criticism of the Mufti Council of Russia by the media and even earned the opposition of several Muftis sticking with traditional Islam. Here are some examples of extremist activities of the MCR Muftis within the territory of Russia: In November 2012, a case Haji Khudzhaev, the imam of On April 16, 2008, spreading of extremist the Ishim community of Muslim Ordzhonikidzevsky Ufa Court literatures was filed against Spiritual Directorate of Asian found Imam Said Baiburin Mufti Gabdoonur Kamalutdin, Part of Russia, was put on (Muslim Spiritual Directorate of who handed it over to a the international wanted list the Republic of Bashkortostan serviceman of one of the for crimes aimed at violent and member of the Council of military units in Kirov region. upheaval in Uzbekistan. Muftis of Russia) guilty of public calls for extremist activity. In December 2012, banned In 2004, Yusuf-Dmitriy literatures in the mosque of one Petrichenko, the imam of the On May 27, 2013, the court of of the settlements of Myrninsky village of Singhul Tatarsky Novosibirsk sentenced two district was confiscated from (Tyumen region), was charged imams of Muslim Spiritual Mufti Musa Sagov in Yakutia. with disseminating extremist Directorate of Asian Part of literature and preparing Russia, Ilkhom Merazhov and Musa Kamurzoev, the imam of terrorist attacks. Kamil Odilov to imprisonment the Chita mosque, recruited for extremist propaganda. into terrorist organizations On May 30, 2007, the city court (including military servicemen of Pyatigorsk found Abdulla- In July 2013, two imams of the of the Armed Forces of the Anton Stepanenko, the imam Council of Muftis, Sergeant Russian Federation), and of the local mosque, was found Svatov and was accused of acquiring guilty under Article 282 of the explosives. Criminal Code of the Russian Haidar-Ali Bugusynov were Federation (received the accused of recruiting into In March 2009, Muhammadgali support of Ravil Gaynutdin). terrorist groups in the Altai. Khuzin, Mufti of Perm Krai, claimed that extremist literature was sold in some mosques of Moscow. As of 2017, a number of Muftis have been noticed displaying sympathy for radical groups: Nafigulla Ashirov (Hizb ut Tahrir), Ali Evteev (Muslim Brotherhood), Mukaddas Bibarsov (Tablighi Jamaat), Nafigulla Ashirov, Hayaz Fatkullin (The Nur Movement). OSINT Report 5 Reportedly, the authorities of detention facilities encourage the recruitment of the people convicted of serious crimes into the ranks of ISIS. Thus, on the basis of data in Turkey, he crossed into Syria analysis, it can be argued that and joined an Islamist group Russian security agencies Sabri Jamaat that would later directly encourage and pledge allegiance to radical facilitate the departure of Sunni group Islamic State. radical Islamists abroad. For Reuters has identified five other example, Sharapudinov, 38, Russian radicals who, relatives told Reuters that in December and local officials say, also left 2012 Russian intelligence Russia with direct or indirect officers presented him with help from the authorities and an unexpected offer. If he ended up in Syria1. The scheme agreed to leave Russia, the continued until at least 2014, authorities would not arrest according to acting and former him. In fact, they would officials as well as relatives of facilitate his departure. “They those who left. The departure said: ‘We want you to leave.’ of Dagestani radicals in large Sharapudinov agreed to go. A numbers made the situation few months later, he was given in the republic healthier.” a new passport in a new name, Magomed Abdurashidov, said and a one-way plane ticket to Anti-terrorist Commission of Istanbul. Shortly after arriving Makhachkala. Russia’s communication and collaboration 6 with terrorist organizations in the Middle East The head of the Mufti Council, Damir Muhetdinov, the first Ravil Guynutdin, starting deputy Head of the Muslim from the beginning of 1990s, Spiritual Administration of the developed close ties with Russian Federation and the the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia person responsible for Crimea, (KSA) Embassy in Russia and is adherent of Wahhabism he is a consistant defender of ideology despite the official Wahhabis ideology in Russia, position of Russian state policy effectively counteracting on Wahhabism. In fact, his attempts to ban Wahhabis on chief in the Muslim’s Spiritual the state legislative level. In Administration of Russia is early 1990s, he started receiving Ravil Guynutdin, the same financial support from such person who manages the Mufti Saudi structures as Inrahim-bin- Council of Russia. But even Ibrahim Fund, Hayat ul-Igasa after the Second Chechen War etc. and multiple counter-terrorist In 2008, he claimed that operations in the country Saadu Sharapudinov listing the extremist materials nobody from the Council or Dagestani, in 2012 Russian forbidden for distribution in its Muftis were arrested for intelligence gave him new the Russian Federation, as extremist propaganda and passport, new name and radical Islamism despite of ticket to join Sabri Jamaat (the part well as a number of Muslim of ISIS).

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