Sights on RussiaRussia has become a priority target for ISKP, which condemns its invasion of Ukraine and its military interventions across Africa and in Syria, Webber said.A 2022 suicide bombing targeted Russia’s embassy in Afghanistan.ISKP “is working to extend its reach throughout Central Asia and Russia,” Webber added, putting together “a Russian language media wing to build support and incite violence inside the country”.Schindler said that with Moscow’s attention on the invasion of Ukraine, Russia is a more tempting target.Friday’s attack — relatively cheap and straightforward to put together — was “a big symbol”, he added.”Its hard to overestimate how important today’s attack in Moscow is for the Islamic State and what it tells about its evolution,” Tore Hamming of the International Centre for the Study of Radicalization posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday.”IS had worked since 2019 to reestablish an institutional unit in charge of external operations,” Hamming added, “first in Turkey and later in Afghanistan with Central Asians as key actors.””Based on a recent high number of foiled plots and today’s attack, it appears they are succeeding,” Hamming said.ISKP now has “Afghanistan and Central Asia as a hub to target Russia/Asia and Turkey as a gateway to Europe,” he added.
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