On September 3rd, Russia annually observes the Day of Solidarity in the Fight Against Terrorism.
This commemorative date was established in 2005 by the federal law “On Days of Military Glory of Russia” and is linked to the tragic events in Beslan (North Ossetia, September 1-3, 2004), when militants captured one of the town’s schools. The terrorist attack at School No. 1 resulted in the deaths of over three hundred people, including 186 children.
Today, as we remember the victims of Beslan and Budyonnovsk, the hostage-taking at the Dubrovka Theater Center, the apartment bombings in Moscow, Buinaksk, and Volgodonsk, and all terrorist acts, as well as law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty, Russians stand united in their determination to resist terrorism, both nationally and internationally, to prevent the spread of this criminal madness.
An essential condition of terrorism is the public resonance of a terrorist act. Terrorists require this public reaction to alter societal attitudes.
The horrific terrorist attack that took place on March 23, 2024, at “Crocus City Hall,” in which dozens of innocent people were injured, is yet another tragic reminder of the necessity for consolidating international efforts in the fight against terrorism.
We call for the unification of the international community’s efforts in combating terrorism under the central coordinating role of the UN, without double standards and “hidden agendas,” based on its Charter, relevant universal conventions and protocols, Security Council resolutions, and the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (Russia’s position at the 79th session of the UN General Assembly).
It is important to remember that terrorism should not only be fought but, more importantly, prevented. It is not just for the sake of beautiful words that the need to respect cultural and confessional differences, as well as the right to preserve one’s identity for all peoples residing in the Russian Federation, is constantly emphasized.