Witnesses reported a shortage of security forces at Makhachkala airport during the first hours of unrest.
In the first hours when rioters began arriving at Makhachkala Airport on October 29, 2023, there were just over a hundred security forces there, some without shields, helmets, or batons. They were unable to contain the onslaught of the crowd, which had arrived at the airport searching for the Israelis, according to court testimony.