Putin Vows to annihilate Terrorists who would Bring Harm to the Winter Olympics

Russian officials believe that they know the identity of the man who blew himself up Sunday at a train station in the southern city of Volgograd, killing at least 18 people. 

The Moscow Times reported Wednesday that officials had identified the suspect as Pavel Pechyonkin, a Russian man who had converted to Islam and joined a militant group. The paper said that Pechyonkin had quit his job as a paramedic with a local ambulance service to join up with fighters in the region of Dagestan. The paper also reported that Pechyonkin had changed his name to Ansar al-Rusi. 

Pechyonkin's identity as the bomber could be confirmed through DNA analysis using a blood sample from his father. The Moscow Times also reported that Pechyonkin had rejected two videotaped appeals from his parents to leave the militant group and return home. The first of those appeals was made this past March, while a second attempt was made in September 

Officials said Pechyonkin responded to the first appeal by recording a video of his own saying that while his parents' pleas had "saddened" him, he would not leave the militant group. He appears not to have responded to the second effort.  

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin, opening a meeting before dawn Wednesday in Volgograd with the heads of the Federal Security Service and the Interior Ministry, said: "Whatever motivated the criminals' actions, there's no justification for committing crimes against civilians, especially against women and children." 

Putin Tuesday promised to annihilate all "terrorists" in response to the bombings in one of two New Year's speeches. "We will confidently, fiercely and consistently continue to fight against terrorists until their complete annihilation," Putin said in the video, Reuters reported. He went on assure safety in the upcoming Winter Olympics in Sochi.

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