Moscow Theatre Attackers Were Headed For Ukraine, Had Contacts There: Russia

The Russian security service on Saturday told state-run news outlet TASS that the perpetrators of the deadly attack on Moscow’s Crocus City Hall had “contacts” in Ukraine and were trying to flee there.

“After committing the terrorist attack, the criminals intended to cross the Russian-Ukrainian border, and had appropriate contacts on the Ukrainian side,” the state-run TASS news agency quoted the FSB as saying, after it announced 11 arrests over the attack.

Ukraine had “nothing to do” with the attack, presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak said on social media outlet Telegram.

The Ukrainian defence ministry went on to claim that the terrorist attack in Moscow was a planned and deliberate provocation by the Russian special services on Putin’s orders”, alleging that the aim was to “further escalate and expand the war” with Ukraine.

The attack has been claimed by the Islamic State. Islamic State – Khorasan Province aka ISIS-K claimed they carried out the attack on one of their social media accounts, but the terror group is known for claiming terror attacks that it had nothing to do with.

Russia said it arrested 11 people, including four terrorists, involved in the Moscow concert hall attack. It also said that the death toll rose to 115 and warned that it could rise further. It is the deadliest attack to strike Moscow in at least a decade.

The Kremlin said the head of the FSB security service had informed President Vladimir Putin about the arrests on Saturday.

“FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov reported to the president on the detention of 11 people, including four terrorists involved in the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall,” it said in a statement.

“I realised right away that it was automatic gunfire and understood that most likely it’s the worst: a terrorist attack,” said a music producer at the concert. The concert goers were in the Crocus City Hall to attend a concert by Soviet-era rock band Piknik.

A “terrible crush” also occurred as people ran towards emergency exits with concert-goers climbing on one another’s heads to get out.