Terrorist Attack in Moscow - 23.03.2024

Hello everyone, and welcome back to the STG Library! Today I'm here to talk about a rather tragic event, the terrorist attack that occurred at a concert hall in Moscow on 22/03/2024.

Honestly, I feel quite connected to this nation, despite everything, and I'm truly sorry for what has happened.

As of now (22/03/2024 at 23:53), the number of victims is over forty, with the number of injured exceeding a hundred.

In these minutes, this attack has just been claimed by ISIS. But what happened?

Currently, there isn't much news about what happened, but I'll try to reconstruct the events with you, sharing further updates in the coming hours or days.

At the end of the article, there will be images of what happened.

6:37 PM (Italian time GMT +1) Shooting in a theater in Moscow, at least twelve dead At 6:37 PM, an attack occurred in Moscow, at the "Crocus City Hall" concert hall, in Krasnogork (a small town near Moscow). According to the first information received so far, there were at least four people dressed in camouflage who opened fire on the crowd. Ria Novosti reports that the building then caught fire. During the attack, at least twelve people lost their lives, and at least 35 were injured. The building was then set on fire, and the evacuation is still ongoing.

6:47 PM (Italian time GMT +1) Roof of the building on fire Russian media report that tonight there was a scheduled concert by the band Picnic. Currently, the roof of the building is on fire and risks collapsing at any moment, while there still seem to be civilians inside. Russian Special Rapid Reaction Teams (known as SOBR) and Special Mobile Police Units (known as OMON) are on alert and heading to the Crocus City Hall, as reported by Russian services.

7:11 PM (Italian time GMT +1) Videos on social media Videos of the four men, dressed in camouflage, entering the hall and opening fire on the crowd with semi-automatic weapons are starting to spread on social media. Other videos show them shooting at people trying to take cover in a corner near the doors. In one video on Nexta, two of the men armed with rifles can be seen, followed by automatic gunfire. Another video, on Novaya Gazeta, shows a large crowd rushing toward the exit, with the bodies of several people visible, bearing gunshot wounds. According to some of the initial reports from Russian media, the attackers also used explosives to blow up the building.

7:24 PM Statement from the White House "Our thoughts are with the victims of this terrible attack," said John Kirby, spokesman for the U.S. National Security Council, referring to the shooting in Moscow. The spokesman also urged all Americans currently in Russia to avoid crowded places as much as possible and to stay in touch with the State Department.

7:36 PM Over fifty ambulances sent to the scene The Russian Ministry of Health reports that over fifty ambulances have been sent to the scene of the attack.

7:41 PM New statement from the White House "There are currently no signs of Kiev's involvement in the Moscow attack," said John Kirby, spokesman for the U.S. National Security Council.

7:43 PM Russian statement "The whole world must condemn the terrorist attack that took place today in Moscow," said the Russian Foreign Ministry.

7:50 PM Update on the number of deaths According to Russian media, the death toll has now risen to over forty.

8:02 PM Statement from the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC) The Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC), a paramilitary unit fighting alongside Ukrainian soldiers, clarified that they were not involved in any way in the attack in Moscow today.

8:03 PM Monitoring by the Italian Foreign Ministry The Italian Foreign Ministry begins to monitor what is happening in Moscow, and the Italian Embassy posts on X, inviting people to "contact the Crisis Unit for any emergencies or reports."

8:06 PM Blame on Moscow according to Kiev According to intelligence from Kiev, the attack was all Putin's fault, who "started with crimes and wants to end his mandate with the same."

8:15 PM Over 6000 people According to Russian media, there were over 6000 people inside the building at the time of the attack.

8:36 PM Ukrainian statement Ukraine declares itself not involved in what happened in Moscow tonight.

8:38 PM Attackers on the run According to some Russian tweets, four (out of five likely) attackers managed to escape. The FSB confirms that they have started "investigation and search" services.

8:52 PM Second Russian statement "Russia will kill Ukrainian leaders if they are involved in the attack in Moscow," said Dmitry Medvedev, president of the Russian Security Council.

9:22 PM Attackers on the run The Russian National Guard confirms that they are hunting down the concert hall attackers.

9:30 PM EU statement "The EU is shocked and horrified by the news of a terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall in Moscow. It condemns any attack on civilians. Our thoughts are with all the Russian citizens affected," said Peter Stano, EU Foreign Policy Spokesman, via a tweet.

9:39 PM Possible car bomb The terrorists' car has been found in the concert hall parking lot, and it may be rigged with explosives. Currently, the Russian National Guard is searching the area with canine units, and the parking lot is completely empty.

10:01 PM Words from Sergio Mattarella "The cruel terrorist attack in Moscow demands the firmest condemnation. Horror and execration must accompany violence against all innocent civilian victims. Fighting all forms of terrorism must be a common commitment of the entire international community," said Sergio Mattarella, President of the Italian Republic.

10:09 PM Children among the victims "A terrible tragedy, among the injured and the victims are also children," said Olga Yaroslavskaya, Defender of Children's Rights in Russia.

10:16 PM Events canceled in Russia "A terrible and incomprehensible tragedy at the Crocus City Hall. Our condolences to the families and friends of the victims. We mourn with you. Speedy recovery to the victims. Entertainment events in cultural and federal institutions have been canceled for the next few days," said the press service of the Russian Ministry of Culture.

10:22 PM Words from Giorgia Meloni "The horror of the massacre of innocent civilians in Moscow is unacceptable. Firm and total condemnation by the Italian government of this heinous act of terrorism. I express full solidarity with the affected people and the families of the victims," said Giorgia Meloni, Prime Minister of Italy.

10:36 PM Claim by ISIS "ISIS fighters attacked a large gathering on the outskirts of Moscow," said the ISIS terrorist group.

10:40 PM US "reproaches" Moscow for warning of an ISIS attack risk America recalls having warned Moscow some time ago that they could be targeted by ISIS. The New York Times recalls a Russian communication from March 7 stating that some extremist groups were being monitored and could carry out attacks.

10:54 PM Doubts about ISIS's claim Some Russian media have serious doubts about ISIS's claim of responsibility for the attack, as there seems to be no trace of any official communication, and the graphics seem outdated.

11:01 PM Escape in a white Renault The Russian agency Ria Novosty claims to have obtained a photo showing the four terrorists fleeing in a white Renault.

11:27 PM Update on the numbers of injured and dead The death toll rises to 40, with 145 injured hospitalized following the attack, nine of whom are in critical condition.

11:34 PM Fire subdued Russian media report that the fire at the Crocus City Hall has been subdued.

5:35 AM (23/03/2024 Italian time GMT +1) Discovery of the terrorists' weapons The press office of the Russian Investigative Committee has announced that the attackers were armed with Kalashnikovs and had an abundant amount of ammunition with them.

5:40 AM Putin's words Putin, through the press, has wished a speedy recovery to all those injured during the attack.

5:45 AM New statement from the White House "At the beginning of this month, the American government had some information related to a plan against large gatherings in Moscow, and shared it with Russian authorities," said Adrienne Watson.

5:49 AM Numbers on the people involved in extinguishing the fire Russian services report that 477 people and 183 units of equipment were involved in extinguishing the fire.

5:53 AM "Blackmail" according to Putin A few days ago, the Russian leader had described the West's warning as blackmail to try to stop him.

6:36 AM Words from China Chinese leader Xi Jinping expressed condolences to Russia, as reported by Chinese media.

7:05 AM Update on the number of deaths The death toll from the attack at the Crocus City Hall has risen to 82, but there are still several severely injured in the hospital, and inspections inside the building are not yet complete.

82... 82 civilian deaths... Four people who deemed it appropriate to shoot at the innocent crowd. A group of five or six people had taken refuge in a corner. They were on their knees, hands raised. They were pleading for mercy. What they received were only gunshots straight to the temple.

I extend my condolences to all the families and friends of the 82 victims, and I hope that such things will not happen again.