Attempt on life of South Ossetian minister of internal affairs

A shooting by unknown perpetrators on the car of the minister of internal affairs of South Ossetia, Igor Naniev, occurred on the evening of 17 August. The minister, who was driving at the time, was unharmed.

The prosecutor general says the attack occurred in the northern part of Tskhinval, close to the Moscovski micro-region, around 21:30. The minister’s Niva work vehicle was shot by a firearm from a derelict building. Although the bullets pierced the vehicle, the minister, who was alone in the car, was unharmed.

• Stalin revived in towns in South Ossetia, Eastern Ukraine

• The scandal with wings – South Ossetia claims to have uncovered another conspiracy between Georgia and the United States

• Is Russia preparing Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Transnistria and Donbass for annexation?

The attack has led to the initiation of a criminal case for an attempt on the life of a government official and the unlawful carrying of a weapon.

So far, the identity of the shooter is unknown. Investigators have determined that the shooter used a Makarov pistol. The investigation is operating under the assumption that the attack is connected to Naniev’s professional activity.

These happenings are a hot topic of conversation in Tskhinval. Since there is fairly little criminal activity in the republic, the attack on the minister has garnered significant attention.

Naniev is well-known for his brutal suppression of the Tskhinval prison riots in October of last year, after which the opposition parties demanded his resignation.

Some Ossetian groups on social media claim that the attack was staged, but very few people believe that. In any case, Naniev himself was driving the car, and he would hardly have willingly placed himself in the line of fire.

Others assert that the shooting was meant as some kind of “warning”. After the incident, Naniev met with the president of the republic, Anatoly Bibilov. There are no details on the content of their conversation.