Gunmen stormed a concert hall in Moscow, resulting in the tragic deaths of 93 individuals, including three children. The attack took place at Crocus City Hall, a popular music venue and shopping mall in Krasnogorsk, on the western edge of Moscow. The incident occurred shortly after President Vladimir Putin secured his power in a recent election.
According to Russian state news agency Tass, the head of Russia’s Federal Security Service informed President Putin that eleven individuals have been detained in connection with the attack. The country’s Investigative Committee stated that four of those detained were directly involved in the assault. The suspects were apprehended in the Bryansk region, near the border with Ukraine.
Videos circulating online depicted the gunmen shooting civilians at close range within the concert hall. The venue’s roof collapsed during the early hours of Saturday morning as firefighters battled a fire that had erupted during the attack.
The Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility for the assault through a statement posted on affiliated social media channels. However, the Kremlin and Russian security services have not officially assigned blame for the attack. A US intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that US intelligence agencies had gathered information indicating IS’s involvement. The official also revealed that this intelligence had been shared with Russian officials earlier this month.
In the aftermath of the attack, some Russian lawmakers hastily accused Ukraine of involvement. Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, denied any connection, stating that Ukraine has never resorted to terrorist methods.
The international community expressed outrage, shock, and support for the victims. The UN Security Council condemned the attack as a “heinous and cowardly terrorist act” and emphasized the need to hold the perpetrators accountable. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also condemned the attack in the strongest possible terms.
In a display of solidarity, hundreds of people in Moscow lined up to donate blood and plasma, as announced by Russia’s health ministry.
This attack marks the deadliest incident in Russia in recent years and occurs amidst the country’s ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The IS group has previously claimed responsibility for attacks in Russia, including the downing of a passenger plane over Sinai in 2015.
