2024-03-22 23:55:24
According to the latest information, at least 62 people were killed and well over a hundred injured in the attack on an event hall in the Moscow region. Russia’s Central Investigative Committee opened a case into a suspected “act of terrorism.” The Islamic State (IS) jihadist militia claimed responsibility for the attack.
The group wrote on the Telegram online service on Friday that IS fighters had attacked “a large gathering … on the outskirts of the Russian capital Moscow.” The IS statement went on to say that the attackers had “safely retreated to their bases.” The Russian National Guard said it was at the scene and was searching for the perpetrators. In addition, people would be brought to safety. Videos showed people running for their lives.
According to authorities, further explosions were reported after shots and a fire in the event hall. Unidentified people wearing camouflage clothing stormed the Crocus City Hall shortly before the start of a concert and opened fire, the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office said. According to Russian media, the victims are said to be both employees and visitors to the concert hall. According to initial official information, at least 40 people were killed. News outlet Basa reported on Friday that the death toll from the attack had risen to 62.
Blazing flames and a huge cloud of smoke could be seen on the famous building. The roof is said to have collapsed. The situation was confusing. According to authorities, dozens of ambulances and many buses were deployed to bring people to safety. The Russian Ministry of Civil Defense said that the building, which also houses a concert hall with thousands of seats, was engulfed in flames over an area of 13,000 square meters. So far it has not been possible to put out the fire. Firefighting helicopters were also used.
The Crocus City Hall has several event halls that are also used for trade fairs. It is one of the most popular leisure spots for Muscovites and those living in the surrounding areas of the Russian capital. Stars have appeared there again and again.
According to the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin has been informed about the events “from the first minute.” According to Interfax, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that he constantly receives all important information about what is happening and the measures taken via the relevant services.
The head of the Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian parliament, Valentina Matviyenko, threatened the masterminds of the attack with retaliation. “Those behind this terrible crime will receive the deserved and inevitable punishment,” she wrote on her Telegram channel. At the same time, she announced, the state would do everything it could to help those left behind.
In an initial reaction, the USA warned not to establish any connection with Ukraine. “There is no evidence that Ukraine or Ukrainians had anything to do with the shooting,” US National Security Council communications director John Kirby said in Washington. Not much can be said about the details yet, but at this early stage we strongly advise against the assumption that there is a connection to Ukraine. “The images are simply terrible,” Kirby also emphasized, saying that his thoughts were with the victims and their families. The US State Department is advising local American citizens to avoid large gatherings of people. Ukraine had nothing to do with the shooting in Moscow, said Ukrainian presidential adviser Mychailo Podolyak.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin canceled all sporting, cultural and other events for the weekend in the evening. He asked for your understanding of the measure, he wrote in his Telegram channel.
The widow of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Yulia Navalnaya, expressed her condolences to the families of the victims. Navalnaya lives in exile. Her husband, once a sharp critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, died in a Russian prison camp just a few weeks ago.
Speculation about a possible terrorist attack in Moscow had been circulating since March 7th. At that time, the US Embassy issued a warning about this, which was also adopted by the Austrian Foreign Ministry on March 8th. For his part, Putin on Tuesday strongly denounced “provocative statements by a number of official Western structures” about a possible terrorist attack in Russia. “All of this is reminiscent of open blackmail and the intention to spread fear and destabilize our society,” he explained to the top brass of the domestic intelligence service FSB, which is responsible for combating terrorism.
In 2002, Chechen gunmen took control of 850 people in a musical theater. On the fourth day of the drama, the domestic secret service stunned the captors and the hostages with a gas. The terrorists were shot. 135 hostages died, most of them due to inadequate medical care.
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