V. Putin ignored warnings from Western services about a terrorist attack and called them a “provocation”

He warned to avoid gatherings

On March 7, the US Embassy in Moscow and the British Foreign Office warned its citizens in Russia and urged them to avoid mass events in the next 48 hours.

The United States Embassy said in a statement that it was monitoring “reports that extremists are planning” to stage an incident in the near future, and asked Americans not to attend mass gatherings, follow the latest local media reports and closely monitor what is happening around them.

According to the representative of the US National Security Council, Adrienne Watson, this information was shared by Washington with the Russian authorities.

“Earlier this month, the U.S. government had information about a planned terrorist attack in Moscow that may have targeted large gatherings of people, including concerts, and the U.S. State Department issued a public advisory to Americans in Russia,” the X social media account said after the terrorist attack. explained A. Watson.

Warnings were ignored

However, the Russian president, speaking at the Russian Security Service (FSB) board of directors on March 19, dismissed warnings of planned terror attacks.

“I should also remind you of the recently published, to put it bluntly, provocative statements by several official Western structures about the possibility of terrorist attacks in Russia.

All this resembles open blackmail and an attempt to intimidate and destabilize our society. You know this very well, so I won’t go into the details now,” V. Putin said.

He also ordered the special services to tighten security controls, but in doing so he referred not to ISIS terrorists but to the actions of the West.

“I ask the FSB, together with other intelligence services and law enforcement agencies, under the coordination of the National Anti-Terrorist Committee, to seriously strengthen anti-terrorist work in all areas, understanding that we are dealing with a strong, dangerous enemy whose arsenal includes extensive informational, technical, financial capabilities – not to mention, we know their capabilities in all these areas, including intelligence techniques and terrorist techniques.

It is enough to remember how the Nord Stream gas pipeline was damaged in the Baltic Sea. They will do anything,” the Russian leader said.

More than 100 people were killed and at least 145 injured when gunmen opened fire at a rock concert in a suburb of Moscow on Friday and a major fire broke out at the Crocus City Hall concert hall, Russian authorities said.

Read the latest news about the attack here.