In all, 31 people were killed and 46 wounded, said Akhmad Dzherikhanov, a spokesman for the Ministry of Emergency Situations, southern Russian division. The assassination of President Kadyrov and General Baranov deals an enormous blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s efforts to restore order in the north Caucasus region. Mr Putin last night said “payback was inevitable”. Russia’s Defence Ministry said Chechen separatists, fighting Moscow’s rule in the region since the mid-1990s, were behind the attack. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast.
