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.
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.
Key events
Russia’s Investigative Committee, in issued 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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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.
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Three children were among the dead, Ria cited the regional healthcare ministry as saying on Saturday.
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Up to five gunmen were believed to be involved in the attack, which was later claimed by Islamic State in a post on Telegram.
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Videos emerged showing gunmen in tactical gear opening fire with automatic weapons as panicked Russians fled for their lives.
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A large fire broke out in the building, with part of the roof collapsing. It is now said to be mostly extinguished.
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The White House says it warned Russia of a potential attack on “large gatherings” in Moscow earlier this month.
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Russia did not immediately blame anyone for the attack.
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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.
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Security at airports, transport hubs and across the capital has been tightened. All large-scale public events have been cancelled across the country.
