Russia: A Second Suicide Bombing in Volgograd

A day after the fatal bombing at Volgograd's railway station, a suicide bomber on one of the city's trolley buses Dec. 30 killed at least 15 and injured dozens more. The blast came during the morning rush hour on a route connecting the suburbs to downtown Volgograd. While attacks in this region of Russia are not uncommon, these two attacks come just more than a month from the beginning of the Sochi Olympics, providing the perfect platform for militants and potentially lone wolves who would otherwise have gone largely unnoticed. The attacks demonstrate the assailants' capabilities and could be intended to disrupt the Olympics or force Russia to reduce its presence in the Caucasus.