Russian leader Vladimir Putin last night accused Ukraine of aiding terrorists behind an attack on a Moscow theater that left at least 133 dead, despite the Islamic State claiming responsibility for the atrocity.
Four men armed with automatic weapons and bombs went on a rampage inside the Crocus City Hall theater Friday night. It is the worst terrorist attack in Russia in 20 years.
The massacre came two weeks after the United States warned of an imminent attack on the Russian capital by extremists.
Within hours, the Islamic State issued a statement claiming it was behind the attacks and posted a photograph of the gunmen on its social media channel. But in an angry national speech yesterday, Putin pointed the finger at Ukraine.
The Russian leader claimed that the terrorists had fled the scene in a white Renault and traveled 400 kilometers south to the Bryansk region, where they were about to cross the border into Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of aiding the terrorists behind the attack on Crocus City Hall in Moscow last night.
In the photo: one of the men arrested accused of being involved in the attack.
Rescuers work inside Crocus City Hall a day after terrorists opened fire on crowds.
The smoldering remains of the concert hall can be seen here a day after the horrific attack.
A view shows the Crocus City Hall concert hall on fire following the shooting in Krasnogorsk, outside Moscow.
A massive fire is seen above Crocus City Hall in Moscow’s western suburbs, 12 miles from the Kremlin.
An image from last night’s scene shows the Crocus City Hall concert venue engulfed in flames as the venue is surrounded by emergency services crews.
A video shows people evacuating Crocus City Hall in the Russian capital, where a sold-out concert by rock band Piknik was hosted.
He said: “They tried to hide and headed towards Ukraine, where, according to preliminary data, a window had been prepared for them on the Ukrainian side to cross the state border.”
Eleven people have been arrested, he added, including the four terrorists: “Russia’s Federal Security Service and other law enforcement agencies are working to identify and uncover the terrorists’ entire auxiliary base.
“Those who provided them with transportation, devised ways to escape from the crime scene, prepared hideouts and caches with weapons and ammunition.”
But a spokesman for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky angrily denied any involvement in the attacks, saying: “Ukraine has never resorted to using terrorist methods.” Everything in this war will be decided only on the battlefield.
Last night, US officials said the Islamic State’s claim of responsibility was credible, adding that the Islamic State’s Khorasan province, based in Afghanistan, may have carried out the attack.
The United States had information of an imminent attack by “extremists” earlier this month and issued a warning to its citizens in Moscow to avoid large public gatherings.
The Crocus City Hall theater, located 20 kilometers from the Kremlin, in the northwest of the city, has a capacity for 6,200 people.
Friday night’s concert by Piknik, a Soviet-era rock band, was said to be sold out.
The massacre began at 7:40 p.m. local time, as concertgoers entered the auditorium.
Witnesses said at least four armed men, dressed in camouflage and combat vests with dozens of spare magazines, jumped out of a white Renault minivan and calmly walked toward the metal detectors at the theater entrance. There they shot through glass doors and windows, killing dozens.
The terrorists were then captured in grainy mobile phone footage, shooting as they walked through the concert hall lobby.
“They acted like trained fighters,” said one witness. ‘They killed the guards and the people who were at the door. They then blocked the main entrance.
Graphic footage showed the gunmen shooting at those trapped in a doorway for a full minute at point-blank range.
Image of the alleged gunmen who opened fire at the Crocus Town Hall in Krasnogorsk, Moscow
A map showing the location of Crocus Town Hall, which is situated 12 miles from the Kremlin in central Moscow.
After that, the attackers threw an explosive device into the crowd, starting a fire that eventually destroyed the roof of the venue.
One woman, who was being treated in hospital for burns on her hands and body, told Russian television: “I fell to the ground and pretended to die.” The girl next to me was killed.
Yulia Khvatkova, who saw the carnage at the entrance, said: “I was wounded in the shoulder, my boyfriend was wounded in the arms and legs. A woman fell right next to me with a bullet in the temple.
‘A cheerful woman was selling tickets at the entrance. When we fled I saw her lying there with these bills and shot in the head.
The musicians were still in the dressing room when the first shots were heard. At first, the audience inside the auditorium thought it was part of the preparation for the show. Then, when it became clear that an attack was taking place, the loudspeakers shouted that the concert was being canceled for “technical reasons.” There was panic as trapped concertgoers tried to flee.
Yesterday emergency workers could be seen searching through the rubble of the theatre, looking for bodies and survivors. They reportedly found 28 bodies in a bathroom and 14 in an evacuation staircase.
The victims were found dead in family groups, some hugging their loved ones. Reports say that several children were among the victims. Around 140 people were injured, half of them still in hospital.
The gunmen were captured six hours later by Chechen fighters loyal to Putin in the Bryansk region. The four men detained are believed to be Muslims from Tajikistan, a country bordering Afghanistan.
In footage posted on social media, one of the captured terrorists said he had been ordered to attack the theater for one million rubles (£8,599).
It is the worst terrorist attack in Russia since the Beslan school massacre in 2004, where 334 victims died, half of whom were children.
In 2002, a siege of Moscow’s Dubrovka Theater by Chechen terrorists left 132 hostages dead.