Russian officials may be increasingly concerned that authoritarian control in some areas of Russia is weakening, according to a US think tank.
Chechen Republic head Ramzan Kadyrov's reaction to a riot that broke out in a Russian airport on Sunday suggested he was concerned with demonstrating the strength of his rule over the region, the Institute for the Study of War said.
He ordered security forces to shoot future rioters in the head if they did not respond to three warning shots, Russian state media RIA reported.
"Russian officials may be increasingly concerned about the weakening of authoritarian control in regions on the periphery of the Russian Federation," said the ISW.
Mr Kadyrov was also quick to reiterate Vladimir Putin's allegations, made without evidence, that the riot was the result of Western "manipulation" through social media networks, in a post on Telegram.
"Kadyrov's reactions to the riots in Dagestan suggest that he is first and foremost concerned with maintaining the perception of his unwavering support of Putin and secondly with demonstrating the strength of his authoritarian rule over Chechnya," the ISW said.
