VLADIMIR Putin has spoken out for the first time since Russia was rocked by a massacre at a concert in Moscow last night that left at least 143 dead and 121 wounded.
The Russian leader, 71, called it a “barbaric terrorist attack” and suggested Ukraine was involved, vowing to punish the perpetrators.
Vladimir Putin addressed the nation at midday
Footage showed masked gunmen – that the US states are from ISIS-K – storming the venue last night
APA huge blaze broke out over the Crocus City Hall in Russia after the gunmen set fire to the building with people trapped inside[/caption]
The terrorists shot victims at point-blank range before allegedly fleeing through the basement
Concertgoers scrambled to get away from the gunmen who opened fire in the packed hall
Four suspected gunmen have been named and detained
In a televised address to the nation, a furious Putin said all those involved in the attack at Crocus City Hall would be found and punished.
Unblinking and tight-lipped, he said: “I am speaking to you today in connection with the bloody, barbaric terrorist act, the victims of which were dozens of innocent, peaceful people. … I declare 24 March a day of national mourning.”
He continued: “All four perpetrators of the terrorist act who shot and killed people have been detained.
“They were travelling towards Ukraine … We will identify and punish everybody who stood behind the terrorists, who prepared the attack.”
Putin – who provided no evidence for his claim against Ukraine – added that additional security measures would be imposed across Russia.
Ukraine has denied all Russian claims that they were in any way involved in Russia’s worst terror attack in 20 years.
Last night, masked men in camouflage gear wielding automatic weapons stormed the packed Crocus City Hall – opening fire and hurling explosives into a crowd.
Some 6,000 people are believed to have been inside the venue watching Russian rock band Picnic when the bloodshed began.
The gunmen began shooting civilians at point-blank range – through glass doors, turnstiles and then the concert hall itself, traumatised witnesses said.
Devastating footage showed piles of bodies outside the blackened concert venue on the western edge of Moscow.
Three children were killed in the attack and four more are in hospital.
Firefighters and emergency workers are now facing the grim task of going through the smouldering ruins to potentially find even more victims.
The death toll continues to rise as more bodies are dragged from the rubble in an operation that could least “at least a few more days”, Moscow’s governor said.
What we know so far:
At least 143 dead and more than 121 injured in the terrorist attack in Moscow
Gunmen armed with automatic weapons & explosives stormed the Crocus City Hall last night at 8pm local time
Some 6,000 fans were gathered to watch Russian rock band Picnic
Fires were set in the venue and burned out of control – hampering the rescue mission
Russia has arrested the four suspected gunmen
A faction of ISIS have claimed responsibility for Russia’s worst terror attack in 20 years
Ukraine has denied anything to do with the massacre
US and British intelligence warned Russia weeks before about the threat of an ‘imminent’ attack – but were dismissed
Russia’s security service (FSB) launched a massive manhunt to catch those responsible and have now detained 11 suspects, including four it says were “directly” involved in last night’s attack.
Two were apprehended after a car chase and two others fled into a forest before being detained – all four have been named and pictured by the FSB.
A close-up of two suspected attackers after they fled the scene – they have now been detained
Witnesses described the gunmen shooting victims at point blank range and hurling explosives
Police and firefighters struggled to deal with the atrocity due to the inferno
US officials claim they have intelligence to confirm the plot was masterminded by the ISIS splinter cell operating in Afghanistan, known as ISIS -K.
The Islamic State have since claimed responsibility for the massacre, writing in a statement: “IS fighters attacked a large gathering” before they had “retreated to their bases safely”.
A spokesman for Kyiv’s military spy agency said today that Ukraine was not involved in the shooting attack and any suggestions of a Ukrainian link “have nothing in common with reality”.
The FSB have claimed the suspected gunmen were heading towards Russia’s border with Ukraine when they were arrested.
Putin’s spooks also suggested the attackers had contacts on the Ukrainian side – but there is no current evidence to back up such an allegation.
Andriy Yusov, of Ukraine’s military intelligence, said: “This is of course another lie from the Russian special services, which has nothing in common with reality and does not stand up against any criticism.”
However, it has emerged that the despot rubbished warnings from the US and UK about an “imminent” terror attack just three days before.
British and US intelligence services warned the Kremlin at the start of this month of the threat of a terror attack on Moscow – something the Kremlin sought to downplay, describing it as “provocative”.
Over 120 people are still in hospital with the conditions of 44 survivors described as “serious”.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said late on Friday that Kyiv had nothing to do with the attack.
In a video message posted on Telegram, Podolyak said: “Let’s be straight about this: Ukraine had absolutely nothing to do with these events.
“We have a full-scale, all-out war with the Russian regular army and with the Russian Federation as a country.
“And regardless of everything, everything will be decided on the battlefield.”
UK Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron this morning condemned the deadly terror attack.
He wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “We offer our heartfelt condolences and express our deepest sympathy to the families of the many victims. Nothing can ever justify such horrific violence.”
One witness said: “We huddled in a corner at the entrance. He [gunman] came up and started shooting directly at people.
“They had black hair. They were shouting at each other and it was not Russian speech.”
Another woman told how she feigned being shot – which saved her life.
She said: “They [the terrorists] were standing at the exit, we didn’t go there, but they saw us.”
“One of them came running back and started shooting at us.
“I fell on the floor, and pretended to die. A girl next to me was killed.
Another witness told RIA Novosti: “People in the hall lay down on the floor to escape the shooting, lay there for 15-20 minutes, after which they began to crawl out. Many managed to get out.”
Another said: “Look how it burns. There are people inside”.
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A child places a toy at the fence next to the Crocus City Hall
A Russian girl wipes away a tear as she visits a makeshift memorial
The Return of ISIS
ISIS’s infamous black flag is feared to be rising once again – with the attack on the Moscow hall being one of their bloodiest since they were defeated in the Middle East.
The terrorist groups attacks sparked horror around the world for years – and their violent videos showing beheadings, burnings and other executions shocked society to its core.
But it is feared that following on from the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan and the crisis in the Middle East following the October 7 massacre, the group is gathering strength.
US General Joel Vowell – who leads America’s efforts abroad to squash ISIS – warned that the threat of a suspected attack has risen 200 per cent in the last three months.
He has headed the ten year US-led coalition Operation Inherent Resolve against ISIS, which saw Western troops stationed in Iraq and Syria – two hotbeds of the terror group’s activity.
In January he met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to talk about removing US troops from Iraq – but instead issued a disturbing message.
The Middle East expert explained that ISIS cells have been rallying their forces in the background, “in Syria and Iraq in the last 60 days in particular”.
Hamas, a Palestinian Islamist extremist movement, launched a brutal attack on Israel’s border in the early hours of October 7, 2023 dubbed Israel’s “9/11” – killing over 1200 people.
Extremist Islamist groups including the Houthis and Hezbollah have aimed attacks at the US and the UK, citing support of Israel – because of their war against Hamas.
Professor Anthony Glees told The Sun that the Western world now faces threats “from all sides” – and that the fight against Hamas, the Houthis and Hezbollah shouldn’t detract from efforts to protect ourselves from older terrorist threats like ISIS.
“I absolutely think we are being assailed from all sides. That makes us vulnerable. And when you’re vulnerable, you get bullied and attacked.”
The security expert also told The Sun that he “absolutely” thinks it’s possible that we could be looking at a new wave of a terrorist threat like those seen over the last 20 years.
The raging threat of terror groups like Hamas, the Houthis and Hezbollah could be combined with attacks by organisations like ISIS on UK soil.
Glees claimed that the events of October 7 and the ensuing war has “provided that spark”.
Ex-US General Ben Hodges said: “The UK is in a pre-war environment. That means war is coming.”
Met Police commissioner Mark Rowley warned this time last year that Britain that the UK has tens of thousands of potential terrorists hiding in plain sight.
Sir Rowley warned that they were on the security services radar, and would need just a “spark” to act on their extremist beliefs.
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