Three Skiers Murdered At Russian Ski Area
Three Skiers Murdered At Russian Ski Area
Published : 20-Feb-2011 05:30
Keen Skier Putin
It's not looking too great for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics after terrorists attacked a tourist minibus heading to the ski slopes at Elbrus, Europe's highest mountain and located in the southern Russian Caucasus area. The men opened fire on the Russian skiers, murdering two with four more taken to hospital where one more died.
Later terrorists attacked the ski area at Elbrus itself, attempting to "blow up a ski lift." This resulted in the lift being "damaged" according to local media quotes from ski centre management.
The attacks appear to be an attempt by separatist groups to pile pressure on the Russian government ahead of the Sochi Olympics by targeting soft ski area targets and sending a message to the wider world that the flagship Russian Games are not safe.
In addition to the Olympics, Russian President Dimitry Medvedev's has a $15 billion plan to develop a string of world class ski areas in the region to help stimulate the region's poor economy and create jobs. He was talking with investors at the world economic forum in Davos about that plan last month.
The Sochi Olympics are also a long term personal project of former president Vladimir Putin, a keen skier, who drove their development before Medvedev took over and remains a strong supporter of the Games.
Several world class ski areas are emerging as a result of the Olympic development and Austrian ski lift manufacturer Doppelmayr is installing 20 new ski lifts in the region alone.
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