Mass grave dating back to Stalinist repressions found in Dagestan

During construction work near Makhachkala, 18 skeletons were discovered close to the Jami recreation center in Dagestan.

According to a spokesperson for the Republican Interior Ministry, the human remains were found on a nearby beach. Upon receiving notification of the burial, the police have initiated an investigation and are coordinating with relevant departments, as reported by RIA Novosti.

The Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation (ICR) for Dagestan has stated that the burial could be linked to the Stalinist repressions of the 1930s.

Oksana Tenetova, the press secretary of the ICR for Dagestan, said, "We are currently verifying and establishing the circumstances. It is presumed that these remains date back to the 1930s, but we cannot confirm anything at this time."

Telegram channels have published photographs of the skeletons and skulls, some of which appear to have bullet holes. Local police and investigators are currently at the scene, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the republic has declined to comment on the discovery.