Russian President Putin Announces Arrest of Gunmen Responsible for Moscow Concert Attack
In a shocking turn of events, Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed that all four gunmen involved in the deadly attack at a crowded concert venue in Moscow have been apprehended.
The assailants unleashed chaos by storming the building, leaving a trail of devastation that resulted in at least 133 fatalities and over 140 wounded individuals.
Law enforcement officials confirmed that a total of 11 suspects were detained, with the four gunmen being intercepted while en route to Ukraine.
The Daesh (also known as IS) group claimed responsibility for the heinous act, a claim that was echoed by a Daesh-linked news agency on Telegram, sharing an image of the masked perpetrators. However, Russia has yet to officially address the Daesh claim.
During a televised address, Putin decried the massacre as a “barbaric terrorist act,” marking it as the deadliest incident in Russia in nearly two decades. He echoed previous assertions from Russian security services that the attackers had sought to flee to Ukraine.
Ukraine swiftly refuted any involvement in the attack, dismissing the suggestion as “absurd,” as articulated by Andriy Yusov, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian military intelligence directorate, in an interview with the BBC.
Reports of the harrowing assault at Crocus City Hall in Moscow’s Krasnogorsk suburb began circulating around 20:00 local time, with the venue hosting a rock concert by the band Picnic, attended by up to 6,200 concert-goers.
Terrifying footage emerged online, depicting armed men clad in camouflage as they unleashed chaos, firing at innocent bystanders before penetrating the hall. Panic ensued as attendees scrambled for cover, with some seeking refuge in the basement or on the roof.
Witnesses described a scene of horror and confusion, with Anastasia Rodionova recalling the chilling silence as the gunmen methodically targeted victims, and Vitaly observing the chaos unfold from a balcony, recounting the moment petrol bombs were hurled, igniting a blaze.
The aftermath was marked by billowing smoke, a raging fire engulfing the hall, and reports of explosions that shattered glass and caused widespread destruction.
Emergency responders swiftly mobilized, with special forces units storming the venue, medical personnel rushing to the scene, and helicopters attempting to contain the inferno.
The Russian Investigative Committee disclosed that the attackers utilized flammable substances to set sections of the concert hall ablaze, resulting in fatalities from gunshots and toxic fumes.
As the nation grappled with the tragedy, makeshift memorials sprang up outside the concert hall, with mourners lighting candles and laying flowers, while citizens queued to donate blood for the victims.
President Putin declared Sunday a day of national mourning, prompting the cancellation of weekend events nationwide, as poignant tributes surfaced outside Russian embassies globally.
Semyon Khraptsov, whose wife remains missing following the concert, expressed his anguish and desperation in the wake of the crisis, underscoring the widespread shock and grief that has enveloped the nation. — BBC
