Moscow-St Petersburg Train Explosion

[Specter1075]

What was first reported as a train derailment (I think) has now turned into a bombing. The train was going from Moscow to St Petersburg. I haven't found anything about foreigners on board, but I would be very surprised if there weren't. This could prove to be something very significant in a lot of different ways.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/11/27/russia.train/index.html

http://rt.com/Top_News/2009-11-28/train-derails-moscow-petersburg.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8383960.stm

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=14581574

Pictures:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/8384028.stm

[Maple]

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[Coligny]

What was first reported as a train derailment (I think) has now turned into a bombing. The train was going from Moscow to St Petersburg. I haven't found anything about foreigners on board, but I would be very surprised if there weren't. This could prove to be something very significant in a lot of different ways.


Let's hope our Russian friends are smarter than that. Terrorists are to be ignored. The moment you give them credit, you've lost, they've won.

[Specter1075]

Unfortunately, history shows that in the case of Russia, they often do respond, and instances of terrorism are used as catalysts for government action of one form or another. So much so that there exist conspiracy theories that the government is responsible for the apartment bombings in Moscow that preceded the second Chechen war.

It all depends on who is found responsible, or who is held responsible. There is still a lot of instability in the Caucasus, but this time the stability is in the regions neighboring Chechnya, more than in Chechnya itself.

You are likely right, that terrorism should be fought through legal/policing means more than militarily, however I am not so sure what to think about this incident. It could become something bigger, or it could be forgotten in a few days, as terrible a thing (though no less true) as that is to say.

25 dead, 27 missing. No word on foreigners. The timing of the incident was designed for maximum damage. Ive taken that train myself, and its always busy. Friday night would have been even more so.

[Deckerd]

there is a claim of responsibility from a european right extremist group "Combat 18" but officials doubt its validity.

[Specter1075]

I must admit I had not heard of the group. I doubt the validity of their claim too. A group that targets immigrants and minorities is working against itself to attack a train that will have far more white Russians than any other group.