Moscow Attack: ISIS or Ukraine, Who’s to Blame?

Team Udayavani, Mar 23, 2024, 4:48 PM IST

Gunmen dressed in camouflage (disguised) clothes used automatic guns to shoot at people attending a concert on Friday, resulting in at least 60 deaths and 145 injuries. The Islamic State militants have claimed responsibility for this attack.

In the most lethal assault in Russia since the Beslan school siege in 2004, attackers fired upon civilians shortly before the Soviet-era rock band “Picnic” was scheduled to play to a sold-out crowd at the 6,200-seat Crocus City Hall, located to the west of Moscow.

Authentic video footage captured individuals settling into their seats in the hall, then frantically running towards the exits as gunfire rang out amidst screams. Additional footage depicted men firing at crowds. Several victims were seen motionless, lying in blood.

“Suddenly, there were loud noises behind us — gunfire. A series of shots — I can’t specify what,” said a witness who preferred to remain anonymous, speaking to Reuters.

“The crowd panicked and everyone rushed towards the escalator,” the witness recounted. “There was screaming; everyone was fleeing.”

Russian authorities reported that the death count exceeded 60. According to health officials, around 145 individuals sustained injuries, with approximately 60 in a critical state.

During the Beslan school siege in 2004, Islamist extremists held over 1,000 individuals captive, many of whom were children.

The Kremlin reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin was receiving updates on the situation from his security leaders, including Alexander Bortnikov, the director of the Federal Security Service (FSB).

Russian authorities released images showing a Kalashnikov automatic rifle, vests equipped with several additional magazines, and bags filled with used bullet casings.

The Islamic State, a militant organization that previously aimed to dominate large areas of Iraq and Syria, has taken credit for the assault, according to statements made by the group’s Amaq news outlet on Telegram.

Some Russian news outlets released a blurry photo showing two suspected assailants in a white vehicle.

It remained uncertain what happened to the attackers while firefighters battled with a huge fire, and emergency responders evacuated hundreds from the scene amidst the collapse of parts of the venue’s roof.

The Islamic State claimed that its militants launched an assault on the outskirts of Moscow, resulting in “the killing and injuring of hundreds and extensive damage to the property before they safely returned to their bases.” No additional information was provided in their statement.

A U.S. official on Friday confirmed that the United States possesses intelligence that substantiates the Islamic State’s admission of the attack. Furthermore, the official mentioned that Washington had recently alerted Moscow about the potential risk of an assault.

“The Russians were duly warned,” stated the official, who chose to remain unnamed, without offering further specifics.

Russia has not yet identified a suspect for the attack.

The incident at Crocus City Hall, located roughly 20 km (12 miles) away from the Kremlin, occurred merely two weeks after the U.S. embassy in Russia issued a caution about “extremists” having immediate intentions to launch an attack in Moscow.

Just before the embassy’s alert, the FSB announced it had prevented a planned assault on a Moscow synagogue(temple) by the Islamic State’s Afghan branch, ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K), which aims to establish a caliphate (Islamic State) across Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Iran.

Putin significantly altered the dynamics of the Syrian civil war by deciding to intervene in 2015, offering support to President Bashar al-Assad in his fight against both the opposition and the Islamic State.

“Over the past two years, ISIS-K has targeted Russia, often attacking Putin in its messages,” stated Colin Clarke from the Soufan Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to global security issues and counterterrorism research

The larger group of Islamic State has been responsible for lethal incidents across the Middle East, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Europe, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka.

Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, labeled it a “heinous act of terrorism” that should be denounced worldwide.

The United States, European and Arab nations, along with numerous ex-Soviet states, expressed their dismay and offered condolences. Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the Ukrainian president, refuted any involvement from Ukraine.

The United Nations Security Council denounced the attack as a “vicious and cowardly act of terrorism.”

In response, Russia increased security measures at airports, transportation centers, and throughout its capital—a vast urban area with a population exceeding 21 million. The country also cancelled all major public gatherings nationwide.

Putin, freshly re-elected for another six-year term on Sunday, deployed a significant military force into Ukraine in 2022. He has consistently cautioned that several entities, particularly Western nations, aim to destabilize Russia.

The Kremlin reported that Putin was briefed immediately after the attack commenced and continues to receive frequent updates.

“Information on the ongoing situation and the actions being undertaken is continuously relayed to the president by all pertinent agencies. The head of state has issued all required directives,” said Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin.

At Crocus City Hall, fire soared towards the sky while thick black smoke billowed from the site, illuminated by the flashing blue lights of numerous emergency vehicles.

Firefighting helicopters attempted to extinguish the blaze consuming the sizable structure. The building’s roof was caving in, as reported by the state news agency RIA.

“Today, a horrific tragedy unfolded at the Crocus City shopping center,” stated Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. “My condolences go out to the families and friends of those who lost their lives.”

Crocus Assault: Probing into Ukraine’s Involvement ”

Sergei Goncharov, who leads the International Association of Alpha Veterans, a prominent Russian anti-terrorism special operations group under the FSB, shared a distinct viewpoint on the attack in his conversation with Sputnik.

Today’s horrific event, in my view, is part of a sequence of events, leading me to believe Ukraine will disclaim any involvement. Public endorsement of acts of terrorism is universally condemned. Nonetheless, I currently see no evidence to divert suspicion away from a Ukrainian link. It’s possible another group was involved, yet I firmly believe it was instigated by Ukrainian Nazis,” stated the former Alpha unit captain.

Goncharov specifically points to Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukrainian military intelligence, who has frequently issued threats against Russian civilians, as being primarily accountable for the devastation that occurred on Friday.

He underscored the genuine threat of terrorism originating from the Kiev government, highlighting the FSB’s regular reports of detaining terrorists, arsonists, and potential suicide bombers among others.

Goncharov, reacting to the news that two individuals involved had barricaded themselves and exchanged gunfire with Russian special forces, expressed his hope “that at least one of them will be captured alive, so we can gather information” about who precisely orchestrated the assault at Crocus.

Goncharov concluded by stating that the forthcoming investigation into this catastrophe will inevitably uncover the connections necessary to identify the mastermind behind it.

On Friday evening, three individuals dressed in camouflage stormed into the Crocus City Hall concert venue in Krasnogorsk, located in the Moscow region, initiating gunfire and launching grenades or firebombs, causing the venue to catch fire.

In response to the incident at Crocus City Hall, Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak declared on Friday that Kiev had no involvement. “I want to reiterate that Ukraine is absolutely not connected to any acts of terrorism or the gunfire at Crocus City,” Podolyak communicated via a Telegram post. A representative from Ukrainian military intelligence reinforced Podolyak’s statement, asserting, “Ukraine has no ties to this act of terrorism.”

Girish Linganna
Defence & Aerospace Analyst
Mobile +91 9845099196

(The author Girish Linganna of this article is a Defence, Aerospace & Political Analyst based in Bengaluru. He is also Director of ADD Engineering Components, India, Pvt. Ltd, a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany. You can reach out to him at: [email protected])