Moscow concert hall attack: death toll rises to 93 as Putin told suspects have been detained – live updates | Moscow concert hall attack


Putin told some suspects detained as Crocus City Hall attack death toll rises to 93

Russian state-owned media is reporting that Russian president Vladimir Putin has been told that 11 suspects have been detained after the Crocus City Hall terrorist attack on Friday, which is now known to have killed at least 93 people, including three children.

The Russian Investigative Committee announced that 93 people had been killed early on Saturday morning. 107 people are believed to have been hospitalised, with many of them in what Russian media has described as a serious condition. The ministry of health has said five children are among those in hospital.

Media in Russia said that the head of Russia’s intelligence service had informed Putin that 11 people had been detained, four of whom were directly involved in the attack.

In a separate unverified report, citing a Telegram message from Duma lawmaker Alexander Khinshtein, Russian media reported that two people had been detained in Russia’s Bryansk region after a car chase. Bryansk is to the south-west of Moscow.

Appeals for blood donations have led to one Moscow hospital having to turn donors away because so many people have come forward.

Moscow’s authorities have said they will offer financial assistance to those affected by the shooting, and will organise funerals for the victims. People have been leaving flowers at the scene of the attack.

A woman lays flowers at a makeshift memorial in front of the Crocus City Hall.
A woman lays flowers at a makeshift memorial in front of the Crocus City Hall. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
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Key events

Russia’s FSB confirms it has arrested 11 suspects

Russia’s Federal Security Service has issued a statement confirming it has arrested 11 suspects after the Crocus City Hall terror attack on Friday night. It claims that the suspects were attempting to flee to the Russia-Ukraine border.

In the statement, reported by Russian media, the FSB says:

As a result of the actions of the special services and law enforcement agencies, 11 people were detained, including 4 terrorists who were directly involved in the terrorist attack in Crocus City Hall.

After committing the terrorist attack, the criminals intended to cross the Russian-Ukrainian border and had relevant contacts on the Ukrainian side. The investigation into the terrorist attack continues.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said on Friday that Kyiv had nothing to do with the attack.

Crocus City Hall attack – what we know so far …

  • 93 people are now known to have died in a terrorist attack on the Crocus City Hall on the outskirts of Moscow. Three children are among the dead. 107 people are in hospital, with about 60 of them described as being in a serious condition. Authorities are yet to identify them all.

  • A number of gunmen stormed the concert hall, opening fire, and later set the venue ablaze. The Russian Investigative Committee said its preliminary findings were that the terrorists had used automatic weapons and flammable liquid to start the fire. There had been earlier reports that explosives were used.

  • Russian media has reported that president Vladimir Putin has been informed that 11 suspects have been detained, including four people directly responsible for the attack. A Russian lawmaker has claimed the two suspects were detained after a car chase in the Bryansk region, to the south-west of Moscow. The reports remain unverified.

Map of the location of the attack

  • Russia has yet to officially say who it belives carried out the attack. A claim has surfaced that the attack was carried out by Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) a regional affiliate of the IS terrorist organisation. US intelligence told American news agencies that there’s “no reason to doubt” the IS claims of responsibility.

  • Russian intelligence sources have told Russian media that the US did provide a generalised warning that there might be a terror attack in Moscow. On 7 March the US embassy in Moscow had warned citizens to avoid large gatherings. Putin had dismissed the warnings in public on 19 March.

  • Moscow authorities have said they will pay compensation to those affected by the attack, and will organise funerals for the victims. People have been leaving flowers at a makeshift memorial at the Crocus City Hall, and many people have come forward to donate blood, to the extent that one hospital has had to turn would-be donors away.

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Russia’s Investigative Committee, in issuing the new death toll of 93, has also warned that the toll is still expected to rise.

Tass reports the committee has confirmed that the terrorists used automatic weapons during the attack, and that they used flammable liquid to set the building on fire.

Here is our video report from last night with footage of the event. Some viewers may find the footage distressing.

Moscow concert hall shooting: dozens killed and at least 100 wounded in attack – video report

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Russian security council secretary Nikolai Patrushev has said yesterday’s attack at the Crocus City Hall shows what a serious threat terrorism is. He said those responsible for the attack would be punished.

Putin told some suspects detained as Crocus City Hall attack death toll rises to 93

Russian state-owned media is reporting that Russian president Vladimir Putin has been told that 11 suspects have been detained after the Crocus City Hall terrorist attack on Friday, which is now known to have killed at least 93 people, including three children.

The Russian Investigative Committee announced that 93 people had been killed early on Saturday morning. 107 people are believed to have been hospitalised, with many of them in what Russian media has described as a serious condition. The ministry of health has said five children are among those in hospital.

Media in Russia said that the head of Russia’s intelligence service had informed Putin that 11 people had been detained, four of whom were directly involved in the attack.

In a separate unverified report, citing a Telegram message from Duma lawmaker Alexander Khinshtein, Russian media reported that two people had been detained in Russia’s Bryansk region after a car chase. Bryansk is to the south-west of Moscow.

Appeals for blood donations have led to one Moscow hospital having to turn donors away because so many people have come forward.

Moscow’s authorities have said they will offer financial assistance to those affected by the shooting, and will organise funerals for the victims. People have been leaving flowers at the scene of the attack.

A woman lays flowers at a makeshift memorial in front of the Crocus City Hall. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
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Sergey Sobyanin, the mayor of Moscow, has announced that the regional government will provide financial assistance to those affected by the attack. Tass reports the financial support will be available to both residents and non-residents of Moscow, and be between 500,000 and 3m rubles. (£4,300-£25,700 / $5,400-$32,500). Tass also reports that the Moscow region has said it will organise funerals for the victims.

Tass reports that a source in the Russian intelligence services has confirmed the US did warn of a terror attack, but said “it was of a general nature and did not contain specifics”.

Kremlin: Putin has been told that 11 suspects have been detained

Russian state-owned media is reporting that some people have been detained in connection with the attack, although this is unconfirmed.

RIA has posted to its Telegram channel, citing the Kremlin, saying that “The head of the FSB reported to Putin about the detention of 11 people, including all 4 terrorists directly involved in the terrorist attack in Crocus.”

Earlier, citing a Telegram message from Duma lawmaker Alexander Khinshtein, Russian media reported that two people had been detained in Russia’s Bryansk region after a car chase.

More details soon …

State-owned media RIA reports that so many people have turned up to donate blood after the attack that the Buyanov hospital in Moscow has had to ask people to return in the following days.

Maia Sandu, the president of Moldova, has posted to social media to say that they were “terrible images” at the scene of the attack. She said “Moldova condemns all forms of terrorism. Our thoughts are with those who lost loved ones and the injured.”

Terrible images of last night’s concert hall attack in Moscow. Moldova condemns all forms of terrorism. Our thoughts are with those who lost loved ones and the injured.

— Maia Sandu (@sandumaiamd) March 23, 2024

Tensions between Russia and Moldova have been running high, with Moldova – which borders Ukraine – having accused Russia of acting to destabilise the country. Russian troops are stationed inside Moldova’s breakaway region of Transnistria.

People have been leaving flowers at the scene of the attack.

Flowers are seen left at the scene of the gun attack at the Crocus City Hall. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

One witness to the attack, who have their name as Dave Primov, has spoken to Associated Press about how events unfolded. They described panic and chaos when the assault began.

“There were volleys of gunfire,” Primov told the AP. “We all got up and tried to move toward the aisles. People began to panic, started to run and collided with each other. Some fell down and others trampled on them.”

State-owned Russian media RIA is reporting that a centre for families of those affected by the attack has been set up at the Kubik business centre, which is a couple of blocks away from the scene of the attack last night.

Map of terror attack location

The press service of the Moscow regional governor’s office has issued some handout photos from the scene of the attack, as authorities continue to investigate the circumstances. The Russian Investigative Committee has also issued some images from the scene.

A handout still shows the burned Crocus City Hall concert venue after the attack. Photograph: Moscow Region Governor Press-Office/EPA
A handout still photo shows Russian rescue service members working inside the venue. Photograph: Moscow Region Governor Press-Office/EPA
A handout still made available by the Russian Investigative Committee press service shows investigators working inside the venue. Photograph: Russian Investigative Committee Press-Office/EPA
A handout still photo made available by the Russian Investigative Committee press service shows a Kalashnikov assault rifle on the ground as Russian investigators work inside the Crocus City Hall concert venue. Photograph: Russian Investigative Committee Press-Office/EPA

107 people in hospital after Crocus City Hall attack – Russian state media

Russian state media is reporting that 107 people are in hospital after the shooting attack at the Crocus City Hall on the outskirts of Moscow.

Tass reports that a list of those hospitalised has been published by the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations. It reports that three women and one man are yet to be identified.

Claire Keenan

Messages of mourning have appeared across Russia and around the world as people wake up to the devastating news of Friday night’s Moscow concert hall attack.

A billboard in Vladivostok displaying a candle to mourn victims of Moscow terror attack Photograph: Xinhua/REX/Shutterstock

Claire Keenan

People in Moscow are going en masse to donate blood at donor centres across Russia after yesterday’s terrorist attack, state news agency Ria reports.

Since the morning, there has been reportedly been a huge queue at the Gavrilov Blood Center in Moscow.

Opening summary …

Claire Keenan

Moscow has suffered it’s worst terror attack in years after several gunmen fired at concertgoers at the Crocus City Hall music venue on Friday night, killing at least 60 people and injuring 145, in an attack claimed by Islamic State militants.

State news agency Ria on Saturday quoted a spokesperson for Russia’s Investigative Committee as saying it was too early to say anything about the fate of the attackers.

Here is a summary of what we know from last night:

  • At least 60 people are dead and more than 100 are wounded after gunmen open fired at a rock concert at Crocus City Hall in a suburb of Moscow, Russian intelligence says.

  • Three children were among the dead, Ria cited the regional healthcare ministry as saying on Saturday.

  • Up to five gunmen were believed to be involved in the attack, which was later claimed by Islamic State in a post on Telegram.

  • Videos emerged showing gunmen in tactical gear opening fire with automatic weapons as panicked Russians fled for their lives.

  • A large fire broke out in the building, with part of the roof collapsing. It is now said to be mostly extinguished.

  • The White House says it warned Russia of a potential attack on “large gatherings” in Moscow earlier this month.

  • Russia did not immediately blame anyone for the attack.

  • President 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 Tass state news agency reported.

  • Security at airports, transport hubs and across the capital has been tightened. All large-scale public events have been cancelled across the country.





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