First you said Russia didn't have Muslims. You were very wrong. Now you're claiming you didn't mean what you clearly said, but meant instead they don't have the same "type of Muslim beliefs?" Well you're wrong here too. "Safi" is a made up word. I'm guessing you meant Sufi? Well Russian Muslims aren't Sufi, something like 90% of them are Sunni are the rest are almost all non-Sufi Shi'ite. Maybe just admit you're out of your element?
Sorry I was going back years ago and yes it is Sufis. I recall when the Russian military acted quickly, however; the children died in that school the Muslims took over. I was told the ones who believe in this (Sufism) are the ones who control Chechnya. It has been awhile since I have spoke to Sobi. (Col.Sobichevsky). I just looked him up wondering his fate, and; he passed on. We were running TS cross border OPS in 68-69 and this Russian Captain gets off one of our call black C-130’s. I was shocked as having seen many lodge act NCo’s and some officers in SF I had yet to see a Russian. He was in HQ SOG in OP 35 then. Getting back to Russia I do not see them repeating the mistakes they made in Afghan that we failed to learn from . Specifically driving up and down MSR’s and other roads. We have got to make the resistance in countries do the fighting and we train, advise, lead them. That is UW and it works.
http://russiasperiphery.blogs.wm.edu/transcaucasia/general/sufism-2/