On the evening of Friday, March 22, in the Russian Federation, unknown persons started shooting at the Crocus City Hall concert hall (Krasnogorsk, Moscow region), where a concert of the Picnic group was supposed to take place. At least 133 people were killed and more than 100 were injured.
Subsequently, the media reported that ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, and the Russian investigative committee on the morning of March 23 announced the “detention of 11 people involved in the attack, including all four perpetrators of the attack.” Russian media reported details.
News about several men in camouflage who opened fire with firearms on visitors to the Crocus City Hall concert hall in the suburbs of Moscow before the start of the Pikinik group appeared the night before. The network also published footage of shootings in the hall and in the hall itself, where visitors were waiting for the concert to start.
Some people managed to leave the room, and some hid on the -1st floor. Some shooters were reported to have barricaded themselves inside the building.
Later, a large-scale fire broke out in Crocus City, it was caused by arson, and an explosion was also heard. Some eyewitnesses said the attackers entered the building with containers that likely contained flammable liquid.
However, rescuers could not begin to extinguish the fire as they were waiting for the security forces to arrive. And they had to wait a long time: about two hours passed between messages from state propaganda resources about the “advancement” and “work on the spot” of the security forces.
“Publications from government agencies may indicate that law enforcement agencies arrived at the scene of the terrorist attack with a long delay. TASS at 20:33 reported that SOBR and OMON had been deployed to the site, and two hours later - that security forces were working at the scene of the tragedy. By that time, the publication MSK1 "already wrote that four terrorists could have escaped. Later, RIA Novosti confirmed that the terrorists allegedly escaped in a white Renaul," writes the Russian publication "Agency".
At the same time, the attackers (according to Russian media publications, there were no more than 4-5 people) took 18 minutes to do everything: that’s how much time, according to Russian journalists, they spent in the building.
The chronology of events, restored by the opposition Russian media, looked like this:
19:55 – a white Renault Symbol stopped in front of the entrance to Crocus, armed people jumped out of it, ran to the building, opened fire and killed the guards;
20:03 they reached the auditorium, killing everyone in their path, and began to set fire to the chairs. The attackers had containers of gasoline in their backpacks;
from the beginning of the attack, surviving visitors ran out of the building through the entrance, service exits, breaking glass and even through communications;
20:13 – a white Renault Symbol with four men inside left the Crocus parking lot.
Next, security forces check information about the terrorists barricaded inside, conduct an assault, ambulances provide assistance, rescuers put out the fire, and carry out the wounded and dead.
Russian media wrote that as a result of a powerful fire (at midnight the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that the fire had been localized to an area of about 14 thousand square meters), the roof of the building collapsed, people were rescued from the roof of the Crocus. The evacuation was carried out by the SOBR together with firefighters. Helicopters were used to extinguish the fire.
Subsequently, the number of victims increased to 140, 77 of them were hospitalized, and the bodies of the dead continued to be taken out of Crocus. At first, Russian media wrote about 12 deaths, then this figure increased to 40, and subsequently to 62.
As of 10:00 on March 23, the Russian investigative agency announced 93 dead. By that time, only 37 people had been identified: their names were published in the Ministry of Health of the Moscow Region, subsequently the list of identified victims increased to 41. By 12:00, 115 victims were already known: more than 20 bodies were found under the rubble. And by 13:00 in Russia they announced 133 dead.
Russian emergency services also reported that a total of 115 people were hospitalized, 5 of them children. Of the 110 adults, 60 are in serious condition.
The updated list of victims, which appeared on the morning of March 23, included 121 names.
A total of 6,200 people could have been in the room at the time of the shooting. All tickets for the concert of the Picnic group were sold out.
According to eyewitnesses, shooting was heard from the burning building, and a new explosion occurred there. Meanwhile, the FSB said that “the law enforcement agencies are taking all necessary measures.”
Hours later, Faytuks News reported that the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist group had claimed responsibility for the attack.
"Islamic State militants attacked a large gathering of Christians in the city of Krasnogorsk on the outskirts of Moscow, killing and wounding hundreds of people and causing widespread destruction," ISIS said in a statement. The militants then “retreated safely.”
At the same time, Russian propagandists and some officials were vigorously pushing the “Ukrainian trail.”
Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev burst out with threats to “find and destroy” those responsible for the terrorist attack, “if it is established that they are terrorists of the Kyiv regime. Including officials of the state that committed such an atrocity.”
First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Defense and Security Viktor Boldyrev also brought forward accusations against Ukraine.
“What happened at Crocus City Hall is a terrorist attack and sabotage on the part of Ukraine. There is no forgiveness for terrorists. They must be eliminated on the spot. As for measures to prevent and prevent terrorist attacks, I propose to strengthen the verification measures for security officers and service personnel at concert venues, museums, and public places crowds of people. Introduce checks of such people before hiring. Strengthen inspections at the entrance to the metro and on transport," he said.
Meanwhile, targeting citizens of Tajikistan began to appear online. At least one of them was in Samara with relatives during the attack on Crocus, which was confirmed by many people.
On the morning of March 23, the Russian investigator announced the alleged detention of “11 people involved in the terrorist attack, including four perpetrators of the attack.” They, according to the department, were allegedly detained in the Bryansk region in the same car that was “lit up” during the attack and had been wanted since the evening.
At the same time, here too the Russians could not resist the temptation to “find” the so-called “Ukrainian trace”.
“Initial media reports said that the car with the terrorists was stopped 16 km from Belarus - in the village of Tyoply, Bryansk region, noted journalist Alexander Plyushchev. However, later deputy Khinshtein named another place where the car was supposedly detained - the village of Khatsun, Bryansk region. From there to Ukraine is about 153 kilometers away, Belarus is 250,” writes the Russian publication ASTRA.
Speakers of the FSB of the Russian Federation do not lag behind the investigator.
“The terrorists who took part in the terrorist attack in Crocus City Hall tried to escape towards the Russian-Ukrainian border. This is reported by the FSB Central Operations Center. According to the intelligence services, the terrorist attack was carefully planned. In addition, the terrorists planned to cross the border and had contacts on the Ukrainian side ", Russian propagandists are replicating the FSB statement.
Due to the terrorist attack in the Moscow region, all planned mass, sporting and cultural events began to be canceled, and additional security measures were introduced at airports.
Mass events began to be canceled in other regions of the Russian Federation, and students at Moscow universities were told not to come to study on Saturday.
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