Summary
It’s now just after 7am in Moscow and this blog is closing here. We’ll be back soon to bring you all the latest news. In the meantime, here are the key developments:
Gunmen opened fire at the 6,200-seat Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk near Moscow on Friday evening at a concert for the Russian rock group Piknik.
Sixty people were killed, a spokesperson for Russia’s Investigative Committee said in the early hours of Saturday according to Russian media, and the number may rise. Earlier authorities had said at least 145 were wounded. Ria news agency quoted Moscow governor Andrey Vorobyov as saying 110 adults and five children had been hospitalised, with 60 adults in a serious condition.
Up to five gunmen were believed to be involved in the attack, which was later claimed by Islamic State in a post on Telegram which suggested that the attackers had managed to escape afterwards. Videos released by social media channels close to the security services showed at least two armed men walking into the hall.
The Russian national guard was searching for the attackers, Russian news agencies reported. The Investigative Committee said early Saturday it was too early to say anything about the fate of the attackers.
Videos emerged showing gunmen in tactical gear opening fire with automatic weapons as panicked Russians fled for their lives. One witness told the news agency AFP that as people ran towards emergency exits, “there was a terrible crush” with concert-goers climbing on one another’s heads to get out.
The emergencies ministry said that fire services had helped about 100 people escape through the basement of the concert hall. Tass news agency said that all of the Piknik group had been evacuated safely. Rescue operations were also launched for people trapped on the roof.
President Vladimir Putin was receiving “constant” updates, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies.
Earlier this month, western countries led by the United States had issued terror warnings and told their citizens not to join public gatherings in Russia. On 8 March, the US embassy wrote it was “monitoring reports that extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow, to include concerts, and US citizens should be advised to avoid large gatherings over the next 48 hours”.
Russia did not immediately blame anyone for the attack. Former president Dmitry Medvedev did say, however, that Ukrainian leaders found to be involved would be “destroyed”.
The US presidency called the attack “terrible” and said there was no immediate sign of any link to the conflict in Ukraine. Ukraine’s presidency said Kyiv had “nothing to do” with the attack, while its military intelligence called the incident a Russian “provocation” and charged that Moscow special services were behind it.
Russia tightened security at airports, transport hubs and across the capital – a vast urban area of over 21 million people. All large-scale public events have been cancelled across the country.
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The earlier attack in Iran demonstrated the group’s “resiliency and indicates that they retain the capability and will to conduct spectacular external operations”.
Russia’s FSB security service said that on 7 March it had prevented an armed attack by the group on a synagogue in the Kaluga region near Moscow.
The FSB said in a statement:
It was established that the militants of an international terrorist organisation are preparing an attack on the parishioners of the synagogue using firearms.
Within hours, the US embassy issued an unusual warning for American citizens to avoid large gatherings and in particular concerts, repeating calls for US citizens to leave Russia.
CNN reporters said they had been told that “since November there has been ‘fairly specific’ intelligence that Isis-K wanted to carry out attacks in Russia … US intelligence warned Russia about it”.
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The ISKP, which is a branch of IS mainly based in Afghanistan, has increasingly focused its attention on Russia since the United States left Afghanistan in 2021.
The group was formed in 2015 by members of militant groups, including those from Pakistan and Uzbekistan, and is active in central Asia and Russia. It carried out twin bombings in January in Iran that killed nearly 100 people.
Gen Michael Kurilla, the commander of US Central Command, during testimony to the House armed services committee in early March said:
Isis-K and its allies retain a safe haven in Afghanistan, and they continue to develop their networks in and out of the country.
Their goals do not stop there. They have called for attacks globally on anyone not aligned with their extremist ideology, and Taliban efforts to suppress the group have proven insufficient.
Analysis: Islamic State’s claim of responsibility for Moscow shooting
Guardian’s Moscow correspondent Andrew Roth has analysed Islamic State’s claim of responsibility for the Moscow music hall shooting:
Speculation about who carried out the shooting at the Crocus City Hall in Moscow has quickly indicated that the terror attack will have outsized political implications in Russia and abroad.
A claim has surfaced that the attack was carried out by Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) a regional affiliate of the IS terrorist organisation. IS has been implicated in some of Russia’s largest recent terror attacks, including the 2017 bombing in the St Petersburg metro that killed 15 and injured 45.
US intelligence told American news agencies that there’s “no reason to doubt” the IS claims of responsibility.
Updated
Russian firefighters and officials have finally entered the auditorium within the Crocus Concert Hall, RIA News reports.
Andrey Vorobyov, the governor of Moscow oblast, said that some pockets of fire still remain in Crocus but that most of the fire had been distinguished.
The roof over the hall collapsed, Vorobyov noted, according to RIA News.
RIA News has also shared a video to Telegram of the passage to Red Square in Moscow being blocked off.
Updated
India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi has also strongly condemned the “heinous terrorist attack in Moscow”, tweeting the country “stands in solidarity with the government and the people of the Russian Federation”.
We strongly condemn the heinous terrorist attack in Moscow. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims. India stands in solidarity with the government and the people of the Russian Federation in this hour of grief.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 23, 2024
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has strongly condemned and denounced the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall.
Posting to social media, the Minister of Foreign Affairs expressed “the Kingdom’s sincere condolences and sincere sympathy to the families of the deceased and the government and people of the Russian Federation” after the “painful incident”.
Updated
Search continues for attackers
It was reported earlier by Reuters that the fate of the attackers was unclear, as firefighters battled the massive blaze at the concert venue, and emergency services evacuated hundreds of people while parts of the venue’s roof collapsed.
A grainy picture was published by some Russian media reportedly of two of the alleged attackers in a white car.
The search for the attackers reportedly continues but Russian authorities are yet to comment on any developments.
Islamic State said earlier that its fighters attacked on the outskirts of Moscow, “killing and wounding hundreds and causing great destruction to the place before they withdrew to their bases safely”. The statement gave no further detail.
Updated
Why would ISIS be attacking Russia?
The attack by ISIS-K in Russia on Friday is being described as a dramatic escalation, according to Reuters.
Experts have said the group has opposed Russian president Vladimir Putin in recent years.
For some background, Putin changed the course of the Syrian civil war by intervening in 2015, supporting president Bashar al-Assad against the opposition and Islamic State.
Colin Clarke of Soufan Center, a Washington-based research group, said:
ISIS-K has been fixated on Russia for the past two years, frequently criticizing Putin in its propaganda.
ISIS-K, in full is Islamic State Khorasan.
The group is named after an old term for the region that included parts of Iran, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan, and emerged in eastern Afghanistan in late 2014, quickly establishing a reputation for extreme brutality, as per Reuters.
There is also a Caucasus branch of ISIS.
The broader Islamic State group has claimed deadly attacks across the Middle East, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Europe, the Philippines and Sri Lanka.
We will have a more in-depth explainer coming shortly.
Investigations underway at Crocus City Hall
Russia’s investigative committee has published footage of investigators working at the scene after the terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall, on the western edge of Moscow.
The unknown people who carried out the terrorist attack in Crocus were armed with Kalashnikov assault rifles, RIA News is reporting.
Here are screenshots of the video released by Russia’s investigative committee on Saturday.
RIA News has shared a full statement from the Russian Investigative Committee regarding updates to the terrorist attack in Crocus:
Investigators, criminologists and experts from the Investigative Committee of Russia, together with the operational units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB, continue investigative actions at the scene of the incident.
The bodies of the dead are being examined. It has been previously established that more than 60 people died as a result of the terrorist attack. Unfortunately, the number of victims may increase.
Material evidence, including weapons and ammunition, is confiscated from the crime scene, all necessary examinations are ordered and carried out, including genetic, ballistic, and fingerprint examinations.
CCTV footage is being confiscated and studied.
Updated
Putin wishes victims ‘speedy recovery’, deputy PM says
Russia’s Tass state news agency is reporting that Putin has wished all those injured in the emergency at Crocus City Hall a speedy recovery and conveyed his gratitude to the doctors.
Russia’s deputy prime minister, Tatiana Golikova reportedly told Tass of Putin’s remarks, which are the first comments the Russian president has made so far about the terror attack.
Updated
At least 60 dead, Russia’s Investigative Committee says
Russia’s Investigative Committee said on Saturday that more than 60 people had been killed in the attack on the concert near Moscow, according to Reuters.
Russian state news agency RIA on Saturday quoted a spokesperson for the country’s Investigative Committee as saying it was too early to say anything about the fate of the attackers.
Updated
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said it was a “bloody terrorist attack” that the entire world should condemn, according to AFP.
Zakharova wrote on Telegram earlier:
The entire world community must condemn this despicable crime!
Updated
French president Emmanuel Macron condemned the attack on Friday at a concert hall near Moscow, calling it a “terrorist attack”, according to Reuters.
Macron, in a statement, said he “firmly condemns this terrorist attack, claimed by the Islamic State”.
He said in the statement that France stands in solidarity with the victims of the shooting.
This is Claire Keenan taking over from my colleague Maanvi Singh.
Updated
The US has intelligence confirming the Islamic State’s claim taking responsibility for the attack, according to Reuters. The agency cites an unnamed US official:
The official said the United States had warned Russia in recent weeks about the possibility of an attack.
‘We did warn the Russians appropriately,’ said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, without providing any additional details.
At least 40 people were killed and 145 wounded on Friday when camouflage-clad gunmen opened fire with automatic weapons on concertgoers near Moscow in one of the deadliest attacks on Russia in decades.
Islamic State, the militant group that once sought control over swathes of Iraq and Syria, claimed responsibility for the attack, the group’s Amaq agency said on Telegram.
The death toll made it one of the worst attacks on Russia since the 2004 Beslan school siege, when Islamist militants took more than 1,000 people hostage, including hundreds of children.
Updated
The death toll has risen to 62, Russia’s Baza news outlet has reported based on preliminary information. The Guardian has not confirmed the number and will be watching for updates from the health ministry.
Updated
Russia’s president Vladimir Putin has yet to make a public comment on the attacks. The Kremlin has said he is receiving regular updates.
UN secretary general condemns attack in 'strongest possible terms'
The United Nations secretary general António Guterres has condemned the attack “in the strongest possible terms”, a spokesperson said.
“The secretary general conveys his deep condolences to the bereaved families and the people and the government of the Russian Federation. He wishes those injured a speedy recovery,” said deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq.
Updated
As the Russian national guard continues to secure the area, Russians have begun to mourn those who died in the attack.
Updated
People at the concert describe a chaotic scene as the attack began.
Alexei, a music producer, told AFP he had been about to settle into his seat before the concert, when he heard “several machine gun bursts” and “a lot of screams”.
“I realised right away that it was automatic gunfire and understood that most likely it’s the worst: a terrorist attack,” he said.
Another witness told Reuters that a stampede began as everyone rushed away from the gunfire. “A stampede began. Everyone ran to the escalator,” the witness said. “Everyone was screaming, everyone was running.”
Updated
CNN’s chief national security correspondent writes that sources have revealed that there may have been specific intelligence indicating an imminent attack.
Since November there has been "fairly specific" intelligence that ISIS-K wanted to carry out attacks in Russia, sources tell me, @NatashaBertrand, @jmhansler. US intelligence warned Russia about it. Unclear if that drove the Mar 7 embassy warning.
— Alex Marquardt (@MarquardtA) March 22, 2024
Isis-K refers to the Islamic State of Khorasan Province, active in south-central Asia.The Islamic State appears to have taken credit for the attack via a Telegram post.
Updated
145 people injured in attack, says Moscow health ministry
The number of people wounded in the attack at the Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk near Moscow has been revised to 145, Russia’s Tass state news agency is reporting, citing figures by the Moscow region’s health ministry.
Updated
At least two children have been wounded in the attack at the Crocus City Hall, according to Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights, Maria Lvova-Belova.
Lvova-Belova, in an interview aired by Russia’s state-owned Rossiya-24 channel, said:
There are wounded children, not many of them so far. There is a boy with a gunshot wound, but all are in a moderately grave condition so far … There is a boy who was struck with the buttstock of a rifle, in a stable condition.
Updated
The Russian national guard have completed an inspection of the parking lots around the Crocus City Hall and have found no explosives, a Russian MP has said.
In a Telegram post, lawmaker Alexander Khinshtein added that members of the national guard are continuing their checks of the surrounding area.
Updated
The European Union is “shocked and appalled” by the reports of a terrorist attack in the Crocus City Hall, the bloc’s lead foreign affairs spokesperson Peter Stano has said.
Posting to social media, Stano said the EU “condemns any attacks against civilians”.
Russia: 🇪🇺 is shocked and appalled by the reports of a terrorist attack in the Crocus City Hall in Moscow.
— Peter Stano (@ExtSpoxEU) March 22, 2024
The EU condemns any attacks against civilians.
Our thoughts are with all those Russian citizens affected.
The British embassy in Russia has said it condemns the attack at the Crocus City Hall, calling it a “terrible tragedy” and adding:
We express our sincere condolences to the families and friends of those affected and killed by today’s events.
Мы осуждаем теракт в подмосковном «Крокус Сити Холле».
— UKinRussia🇬🇧🇷🇺 (@ukinrussia) March 22, 2024
Это ужасная трагедия.
Мы выражаем искренние соболезнования родным и близким пострадавших и погибших от сегодняшних событий. pic.twitter.com/EVq79GDqAz
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Islamic State claims members escaped after attacking concert hall
The Islamic State have claimed responsibility for the attack on the Crocus City Hall on the outskirts of Moscow.
The full statement posted on its Telegram account reads:
Islamic State fighters attacked a large gathering of Christians in the city of Krasnogorsk on the outskirts of the Russian capital, Moscow, killing and wounding hundreds and causing great destruction to the place before they withdrew to their bases safely.
Updated
Ukraine’s ministry of foreign affairs has released a statement to say that it “categorically rejects the accusations, which Russian officials started to make” claiming that Ukraine was involved in the shooting at the Crocus concert hall near Moscow.
The Ukrainian ministry said:
We consider such accusations to be a planned provocation by the Kremlin to further fuel anti-Ukrainian hysteria in Russian society, create conditions for increased mobilisation of Russian citizens to participate in the criminal aggression against our country and discredit Ukraine in the eyes of the international community.
The statement goes on to urge the international community to reject these accusations and to “strengthen its support for our country in countering Russia’s criminal aggression”.
Updated
The Russian rock band Piknik have not been able to contact one of its members since the attack at the Crocus City Hall, where the band were due to play, its managing director has told Russia’s Tass state news agency.
Yuri Chernyshevsky told Tass:
We can’t contact one [band member], we don’t know if he left Crocus.
He did not specify which member of the band he was referring to.
As we reported earlier, Piknik have posted to Instagram to say that their musicians and management are “alive and safe”.
Updated
Islamic State claims responsibility for attack on concert hall
The Islamic State have claimed responsibility on its Telegram channel for the attacks at the Crocus City Hall near Moscow, Reuters is reporting.
Updated
The French foreign ministry has said its thoughts are with the victims of the attack and the Russian people.
In a social media post, the ministry said the images coming out of Moscow were “terrible”, adding that “full light must be shed on these heinous acts”.
#Russie | Les images qui nous parviennent depuis Moscou sont terribles. Nos pensées vont aux victimes et blessés et au peuple russe.
— France Diplomatie🇫🇷🇪🇺 (@francediplo) March 22, 2024
Toute la lumière doit être faite sur ces actes odieux.
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The Russian former president Dmitry Medvedev has released a statement calling for those responsible for the attack to be “found and ruthlessly destroyed”.
Medvedev, who is deputy chair of Russia’s security council, posted on Telegram:
Terrorists understand only reciprocal terror. No trials or investigations will help if force is not answered with force, and deaths with total punishment of terrorists and repression of their families. That’s our worldly experience.
If it can be established that these terrorists were from the Kyiv regime, it’s impossible to deal with them and those who have been inspired by their ideology any other way. They must all be found and ruthlessly destroyed as terrorists. Including official representatives of the state that committed such an atrocity.
Updated
What we know so far
Dozens of people have reportedly been killed and more than 100 wounded in an attack at a concert venue near Moscow.
Here is what we know about the shooting so far:
Unidentified gunmen opened fire at the Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk near Moscow on Friday evening during a sold-out concert by the Russian rock group Piknik. Crocus City Hall is one of the largest and most popular music venues in the Moscow oblast.
Forty people are reported dead and more than 100 wounded after the shooting as of 19.15 GMT, Russian state news agencies said, citing Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB).
Up to five gunmen were believed to have been involved in the attack. There was no immediate claim of responsibility by any group, but Russian prosecutors described the attack as “an act of terrorism”.
Videos emerged showing gunmen in tactical gear opening fire from automatic weapons as panicked Russians fled for their lives. The attackers also apparently detonated explosives, as the sounds of blasts could be heard in other videos from the attack.
Tass, Russia’s state news agency, reported that people remained inside the building, which is almost completely engulfed in flames, and that others were trapped on the roof.
Spetsnaz units of Russia’s national guard as well as police and firefighters were at the scene.
Earlier this month, western countries led by the United States issued terror warnings and told their citizens not to join public gatherings in Russia. On 8 March, the US embassy wrote it was “monitoring reports that extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow, to include concerts, and US citizens should be advised to avoid large gatherings over the next 48 hours”.
Updated
People injured in the attack on the Crocus City Hall are being hospitalised in medical institutions of the Moscow region, the regional health ministry told state news agency Tass. It cites the ministry as saying:
The victims of the terrorist attack are being rushed to hospitals in Krasnogorsk, Khimki and Odintsovo.
At least 40 people have been killed and more than 100 wounded, according to reports. Five people are in serious condition, the governor of Moscow oblast has said.
Russia cancels all entertainment and mass events
All entertainment and mass events in Russia have been cancelled, the country’s culture ministry has announced.
Updated
The attack took place as crowds gathered for a concert of the Russian rock band, Piknik, at the Crocus City Hall concert centre in the outskirts of Moscow.
The band has posted a statement to Instagram to say that they are “alive and safe”, the BBC is reporting, adding:
There was a tragedy that took place, the scale of which we can’t yet assess.
We are following the news and awaiting official information. The musicians and management are alive and safe.
Updated
Here is some background coming from the Associated Press on previous terrorist attacks in Russia:
Russia was shaken by a series of deadly terror attacks in the early 2000s during the fighting with separatists in the Russian province of Chechnya.
In October 2002, Chechen militants took about 800 people hostage at a Moscow theater. Two days later, Russian special forces stormed the building and 129 hostages and 41 Chechen fighters died, most of them from effects of narcotic gas Russian forces used to subdue the attackers.
And in September 2004, about 30 Chechen militants seized a school in Beslan in southern Russia taking hundreds of hostages. The siege ended in a bloodbath two days later and more than 330 people, about half of them children, were killed.
Updated
Children among those injured in shooting – report
Children are among those injured in the shooting incident and fire at the Crocus City Hall concert centre, Russia’s state-owned Ria news agency is reporting.
Andrey Vorobyov, the governor of Moscow oblast, has posted to his Telegram account that five people are in serious condition.
Updated
Search for concert hall attackers ongoing - reports
The Russian national guard is searching for those who attacked the Crocus City Hall concert centre near Moscow, Russian news agencies are reporting.
The US state department has said its embassy in Moscow is aware of reports of an ongoing terrorist incident at Crocus City Hall.
In a social media post, it advised US citizens to avoid the area and follow instructions of local authorities.
Russia: The Embassy is aware of reports of an ongoing terrorist incident at Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk, near Moscow. U.S. citizens should avoid the area and follow instructions of local authorities. More at https://t.co/mkJSLapQ4O pic.twitter.com/QKIK8lqLl5
— Travel - State Dept (@TravelGov) March 22, 2024
Putin receiving regular updates on attack, says Kremlin
The Kremlin has said that Russia’s president Vladimir Putin is receiving regular updates about the shooting at the Crocus City Hall concert hall.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, in a statement carried by Russia’s Tass state news agency, said:
In the first minutes of the incident at the Crocus City Hall, the president was informed about the start of the shooting. The president is constantly supplied by all relevant services with information about what is happening and the measures being taken. The president has already given all the necessary instructions.
Updated
Here are some of the latest images we have received from the newswires from outside the Crocus City Hall venue in Moscow.
Updated
Videos and photos have emerged showing the Crocus City Hall engulfed in flames and from the attack, showing at least four gunmen opening fire from automatic weapons as panicked Russians fled for their lives.
In one video, three men in fatigues carrying rifles fired at pointblank range into bodies strewn about the lobby of the concert hall. The attackers also apparently detonated explosives, as the sounds of blasts could be heard in other videos from the attack.
Updated
Ukraine denies involvement in attacks
Ukraine has denied involvement in the attacks, with Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, tweeting the following statement:
Ukraine certainly has nothing to do with the shooting/explosions in the Crocus City Hall (Moscow Region, Russia). It makes no sense whatsoever …
Ukraine has been fighting with the Russian army for more than two years. And everything in this war will be decided only on the battlefield. Only by the quantity of weapons and qualitative military decisions. Terrorist attacks do not solve any problems ...
Ukraine has never resorted to the use of terrorist methods. It is always pointless. Unlike, by the way, Russia itself, which uses terrorist attacks in the current war against Ukraine …
And thirdly, long before the events in #Crocus_City_Hall, we had heard public warnings from foreign embassies stationed in #Moscow about the possibility of such bloody excesses.
As a conclusion: there is not the slightest doubt that the events in the Moscow suburbs will contribute to a sharp increase in military propaganda, accelerated militarization, expanded mobilization, and, ultimately, the scaling up of the war. And also to justify manifest genocidal strikes against the civilian population of Ukraine ...
Ukraine certainly has nothing to do with the shooting/explosions in the Crocus City Hall (Moscow Region, Russia). It makes no sense whatsoever.
— Михайло Подоляк (@Podolyak_M) March 22, 2024
First of all, Ukraine has been fighting with the Russian army for more than two years. And everything in this war will be decided only…
Updated
Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny who died in February in a Russian penal colony, has expressed her condolences after the attacks on Friday night.
In a post on X, Navanlnaya wrote:
What a nightmare in Crocus. Condolences to the families of the victims and recovery to the injured. All those involved in this crime must be found and held accountable.”
Какой кошмар в Крокусе. Соболезнования родным погибших и выздоровления пострадавшим. Все причастные к этому преступлению должны быть найдены и понести ответственность
— Yulia Navalnaya (@yulia_navalnaya) March 22, 2024
40 dead, more than 100 wounded, says FSB
Forty people are dead and more than 100 others are wounded following shooting attacks at Crocus City Hall outside Moscow on Friday night, according to Russia’s Federal Security Service.
According to IFX, up to five gunmen were involved in the attacks.
Russia’s top investigative agency, the Investigative Committee, said that it is investigating the events as a terrorist attack, the Associated Press reports.
The agency did not say who may be responsible for the attacks.
Updated
Roof of concert hall where shooting took place is collapsing
The roof of Crocus City Hall where gunfire and flames were heard and seen on Friday night is collapsing, RIA reports.
Here are videos emerging through social media:
‼️ Partial roof collapse in the "Crocus City Hall" building in #Moscow pic.twitter.com/iXjAQA50ma
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) March 22, 2024
⚡️⚡️ The roof began to collapse in the Crocus City Hall. There are people in the building. pic.twitter.com/ILDXuy6SCh
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) March 22, 2024
Here is a map of Crocus City Hall which is located about 20km from Moscow’s Red Square:
Updated
Here are some images coming through the newswires in Moscow where the city is on high alert following reported shooting attacks at a concert venue on Friday night:
Updated
A helicopter has been called in to extinguish the fires at Crocus City Hall following the gun attacks, TASS reports.
Images and videos on social media appeared to show other helicopters and multiple ambulances near the venue:
Helicopters, multiple ambulances near Crocus City Hall in Moscow pic.twitter.com/9lN37sSGoT
— RT (@RT_com) March 22, 2024
⚡️100 rescued from basement of Moscow Concert Hall - Emergency Services pic.twitter.com/5E51CslZgl
— RT (@RT_com) March 22, 2024
Russia calls on international community to condemn the 'monstrous crime'
Russia’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, has called on the international community to condemn the “monstrous crime” following the gun attacks at a concert hall near Moscow, Reuters reports.
Meanwhile, the Chechen leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, has issued a statement on the attacks, saying: “I strongly condemn such acts of violence, brutality and recklessness against civilians.”
Updated
John Kirby, the White House national security spokesperson, told reporters:
There’s no indication at this time that Ukraine, or Ukrainians were involved in the shooting … We’re taking a look at it, but I would disabuse you at this early hour of any connection to Ukraine.”
In response to whether this is a sign of cracks in Vladimir Putin’s regime, Kirby said:
There are people in Moscow and in Russia that object to the way Mr Putin is governing the country, but I don’t think we, at this early hour, can make a link between the shopping mall attack and political motivations. I think … we just need more time and we need to learn more information.”
Updated
Moscow cancels all mass gatherings and strengthens security at airports and stations
Here are the latest updates coming through Reuters on the attacks:
A second blast was reported at Crocus City Hall near Moscow, IFX reports.
Moscow has cancelled all the weekend’s mass gatherings, according to its mayor.
The first wounded victims are already in hospitals across Moscow, IFX reports.
Security measures have been strengthened at Moscow railway stations, TASS reports.
Updated
At least a dozen people have been killed and many more wounded according to unofficial reports in the worst terror attack in Russia in years, as gunmen in combat fatigues opened fire and detonated explosives in a big concert hall in Moscow.
Photos showed the Crocus City Music Hall engulfed in flames as videos emerged from the concert hall attack, showing at least four gunmen opening fire from automatic weapons as panicked Russians fled for their lives.
In one video, three men in fatigues carrying rifles fired at point blank range into bodies strewn about the lobby of the concert hall. The attackers also apparently detonated explosives, as the sounds of blasts could be heard in other videos from the attack.
Updated
The attacks come just days after the US embassy in Russia issued a security alert to US citizens.
The embassy also said that it is “monitoring reports that extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow, to include concerts”.
Actions that US citizens have been encouraged to take include avoiding large crowds, monitoring local media for updates and being aware of surroundings.
The embassy has also listed the following contact details for assistance:
US embassy Moscow, Russian Federation
US citizens with emergencies, please call +7 (495) 728-5577
Outside of office hours, contact +7 (495) 728-5000
For routine American Citizen Services questions, please email: MoscowACS@state.govU.S. Embassy Russia websiteDepartment of State – Consular Affairs
888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444
Updated
Opening summary
Moscow has suffered a major terrorist attack after several gunmen dressed in camouflage fired on people at the Crocus City Hall music venue on the outskirts of the city on Friday evening.
Here is what we know so far:
Between two and five gunmen were involved in the attack, Russian media reports. Footage showed people being shot in the foyer in a rampage-style atrocity.
The attackers also used explosives that started a large fire, state media reported. The fire has engulfed a third of the concert venue building and the roof of the building is almost completely engulfed in flames, Tass reported. Large plumes of smoke could be seen billowing into the sky.
Early reports put the death toll at 14.
Video footage published on Russian social media channels showed a large crowd of concertgoers attempting to flee the hall as numerous loud gunshots could be heard.
Special units of Russia’s national guard have arrived on the scene and more than 50 ambulance crews have been sent.
Updated
