Moscow Attack
Putin says "radical Islamists" behind Moscow concert hall attack
In a televised address on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged for the first time that "radical Islamists" were responsible for the deadly attack on a concert hall outside Moscow, which resulted in the deaths of at least 137 people. The assault, which took place last week at Crocus City Hall, saw gunmen storm the venue, open fire on concert-goers, and set the building ablaze. This tragic event marks one of the deadliest attacks in Russia in recent years.
Putin's statement comes after days of speculation and claims of responsibility by the Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP), an affiliate of ISIL (ISIS), which has been active in Afghanistan and Iran. The ISKP has repeatedly asserted its involvement since Friday, and ISIL-affiliated media channels have published graphic videos of the gunmen during the attack. Despite these claims, Putin continued to suggest that Ukraine could have been involved, without providing any evidence to support this assertion.
The Russian President posed the question, "Why after committing the crime the terrorists tried to go to Ukraine? Who was waiting for them there?" This line of inquiry follows his earlier claims that the attackers were captured while attempting to escape to Ukraine. However, these suggestions have been met with strong denials from Kyiv, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accusing Russian officials of trying to shift the blame away from their own intelligence failures.
The United States and French intelligence have corroborated the claims made by the ISKP. U.S. intelligence officials confirmed the group's responsibility for the attack, and French President Emmanuel Macron stated that France has intelligence pointing to "an ISIL entity" as responsible for the Moscow attack. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov urged patience and advised waiting for the results of the ongoing investigation in Russia.
In the aftermath of the attack, four men were charged by a Moscow court with carrying out a "terrorist" attack. During their court appearance, the suspects showed signs of severe beating, raising concerns about the methods used during their detention and interrogation. Civil liberties groups have cited this as an indication that Russia's already poor human rights record under Putin could further deteriorate.
The four suspects, identified as Tajik nationals, ranged in age from 19 to 32. At least two of the suspects admitted culpability, although their physical condition has raised questions about the voluntariness of their statements. The Federal Security Service has stated that seven other suspects have been detained, with three appearing in court on Monday facing terrorism charges.
The attack on Crocus City Hall, located on the western outskirts of Moscow, also left more than 180 people injured. As the gunmen fired upon the crowd, they ignited a fire that caused the roof of the vast concert hall to collapse. The search for additional victims is expected to continue until at least Tuesday afternoon.
In response to the attack, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has promised that "the perpetrators will be punished. They do not deserve mercy." Former President Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy head of Russia's Security Council, has called for harsh retribution, urging authorities to "kill them all."
Security measures have been heightened in Moscow following the attack, with at least ten security alerts leading to evacuations in shopping malls across the capital. The city remains in a state of mourning as many continue to grieve the loss of life and the shocking violence that has struck at the heart of the Russian community.