The Media Mirror – Today's Russian press review

The explosion in the city of Togliatti is the main focus of Thursday’s Russian press, with newspapers providing versions of its origin. The papers are also analysing the probability of a U.S. war against Iran and quote American politicians speaking about

KOMMERSANT business daily writes the type of explosive used in the alleged terrorist attack in the city of Togliatti is identical to last year’s bomb at the Cherkizovsky market in Moscow. Then the perpetrators were ultra-nationalists hitting at foreign shop owners. The paper writes Togliatti has a number of foreign workers, but it’s too early in the investigation to make any conclusions.

KOMSOMOLSKAYA PRAVDA daily says the explosion occurred at 0817 in the morning. The bus must have been delayed by heavy traffic, or else it would have reached the end of its route at 0815 and would have been empty at the time of the blast. If a timer was used, that would point to a business conflict rather then terrorism – usually in such cases explosives are planted to intimidate competition rather than actually kill people. There is tough competition between municipal buses and private minibuses in the city, which is known for its bold and ruthless criminal underworld.

IZVESTIA daily speculates about a possible suicide bomber and has named Pavel Kosolapov as the alleged mastermind of the attack and the designer of the bomb used in it. Kosolapov is a gifted ex-army demolition expert who converted to Islam, joined the Jihad and became known as the “Russian Bin Laden”.

KOMMERSANT also writes about the recent hearings on Russia in the U.S. Congress.  Congressman Tom Lantos took up the role of a judge and criticised Russia for missing its chance after a thousand years of the absence of democracy. He added, says the paper, that he loves Russian culture and is forever grateful to Russian soldiers who freed him from a Nazi concentration camp in 1945.

IZVESTIA quotes Senator Brad Sherman who says the anti-Russian stance of U.S. politicians is based on reflexes rather than sense. Most of them grew up in Soviet times when the U.S. was making every possible effort to surround, weaken and humiliate Russia. 

NEZAVISIMAYA GAZETA daily writes that Moscow’s advice to Teheran is to stop uranium enrichment – at least temporarily. It can write off the current “nuclear dossier” and thus deprive the U.S. of a reason for military interference. The paper says diplomatic means don’t work any more. Now Iran has to nullify its nuclear record or face the prospect of war.