President Vladimir Putin says Russia's war in Ukraine is part of an existential struggle with the West that demands total focus — but deadly shootings in Dagestan show that militant Islam is a rising threat that may force him to redirect some of his resources.
The latest violence, in which at least 20 people were killed on Sunday evening in a series of apparently coordinated shootings in Russia's far south, raises awkward questions for its intelligence and security services.
They appear to have been caught off guard at a time when much of their attention is focused on Ukraine and the threat of Ukrainian-linked attacks inside Russia.