Putin Extends Condolences to Tajikistans President Following Tragic School Stabbing Incident

On Monday, President Vladimir Putin extended his condolences to Tajikistan’s president, Emomali Rahmon, following the tragic death of a 10-year-old Tajik student at a school near Moscow last week, labeling the incident an “act of terrorism.”

Authorities took a 15-year-old student into custody last Tuesday after he injured a security guard and fatally stabbed Kobiljon Aliyev, a fourth grader, at Uspenskaya Secondary School located in the Gorki-2 suburb of Moscow.

The day after the incident, Tajikistan’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador in Dushanbe, expressing their belief that the attack stemmed from ethnic animosity and demanded an unbiased investigation.

While Russian law enforcement agencies have yet to publicly determine a motive, various reports indicate that images retrieved from the suspect’s phone included “extremist quotes” and the names of far-right groups, alongside references to the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings in New Zealand.

During a meeting with Rahmon in St. Petersburg on Monday, Putin assured that the probe into the incident would be “thoroughly pursued” and offered his sympathies to both the Tajik leader and the bereaved family.

«Crimes of this kind, particularly those that target children, are especially abhorrent,» Putin remarked, stating that the murder had left him profoundly shaken.

Rahmon labeled the boy’s death as “unexpected” and noted that Tajik officials had initiated their own investigation. Putin mentioned that Russian investigators would keep their Tajik counterparts updated on any progress.

Last week, Telegram channels linked to Russian security services circulated videos and images that allegedly showed the suspect during the knife attack at Uspenskaya Secondary School, which he subsequently uploaded to social media.

One of the videos depicts the teenager confronting a group of fourth graders and their teacher in a school hallway, where he, wielding a knife, inquires about the children’s ethnic backgrounds.

Reports indicate that the mother of the deceased boy worked as a janitor at Uspenskaya Secondary School.