A Russian man convicted for participating in the violent antisemitic riot at Makhachkala Airport in Dagestan in October 2023 has been killed while fighting with Russian forces in Ukraine.

Omar Zhanburuaev, was convicted for joining the mob that stormed the airport searching for Jewish and Israeli passengers after rumors spread that a flight from Israel was arriving.

In June 2025, Zhanburuaev was sentenced to more than five years in prison for his role in the riot and the extensive damage caused at the airport.

While serving his sentence, Zhanburuaev signed a military contract allowing him to leave prison and join the Russian military.

In a video released in January, he said he had signed the contract in an effort to change his life and atone for his actions. He claimed that he had gone to the airport to “show support for the Palestinians,” but acknowledged that he had instead caused damage to his own country.

Zhanburuaev was subsequently deployed to the war in Ukraine, where he was killed in combat. His body was returned to Dagestan and buried in the village of Tarki.

According to Shvadil Gadulaev, chairman of a council representing civil society organizations in Dagestan, Zhanburuaev is the latest participant in the airport riot to be killed after joining the Russian military. Of seven participants who enlisted, five are reportedly still alive, including one who was seriously wounded.

Another participant in the riot, Muhammad Said Murtazalibov, was previously killed fighting in Ukraine and buried in January.

The October 2023 riot erupted after rumors circulated on social media claiming that Israeli “refugees” were arriving in Dagestan. A mob stormed the airport terminal and runway searching for Jews and Israelis and clashed with security forces.

Russian investigators ultimately filed charges against 142 suspects accused of participating in the violence.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)