(CNN) – Russia is reeling from its worst terrorist attack in decades.
what happened?
On Friday night, assailants armed with guns and incendiary devices opened fire indiscriminately at the Crocus City complex, which includes a popular music hall and shopping center.
The crowd was still lining up, but the auditorium was already packed for a concert by a band called Picnic. Approximately 6,500 tickets were reportedly sold for the show. But instead of a night of dancing to rock music, there was total chaos.
Panicked witnesses captured on video the exact moment gunmen wearing camouflage and carrying automatic weapons began firing indiscriminately. Video footage showed concertgoers screaming and ducking behind cushioned seats while other audience members huddled together as gunshots echoed through the vast hall. .
During the riot, one of the group who had taken shelter next to a large wall of windows outside the concert venue was forced to break the window to escape gunfire, according to footage obtained by CNN.
An anonymous male witness who survived the attack said gunmen entered the concert hall and “started shooting everyone.”
“I was sitting in the hall on the second floor with a balcony. I heard gunshots. At first I couldn't understand what was happening,” he said in an interview with Ostrozno Novosti, published by Reuters. He added that the attackers threw petrol bombs, after which “everything was set on fire”.
The band's manager later told state media that none of the performers were injured.
SWAT teams were called to the area, and more than 70 ambulance teams and medics assisted the victims.
The fire continued at Crocus City on Saturday, with the roof of the venue partially collapsing. According to Russia's Ministry of Emergencies, nearly 500 people were working at the scene to remove debris.
How many people were injured?
At least 133 people were found to have been killed at the vast complex, according to an update from Russia's Investigative Committee on Saturday. Officials say that number is likely to continue to rise as emergency workers work on the scene.
Moscow Region Governor Andrei Vorobyov said on Saturday that victims of the terrorist attacks would receive financial compensation from the regional and city governments.
Relatives of the dead will receive 3 million rubles ($32,500), and relatives of the injured and hospitalized will receive 1 million rubles ($10,840).
“Children who are registered in the Moscow region and whose father or mother died in a tragedy will also receive a monthly payment. In addition, we will compensate everyone for burial costs and resolve all legal issues.” Vorobyov added.
Who is behind the attack?
ISIS claimed responsibility for the assault on Friday in a short statement posted on Telegram by the ISIS-affiliated Amaq news agency.
The next day, the terrorist group released images through Amaku purporting to show the four men who stormed the complex. No one in the image could identify the man. All are wearing balaclavas and the rest of their faces are blurred.
ISIS described the attack as “the most violent in years,” according to a translation of the message by the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors the terrorist group's propaganda.
Amak also provided details of the attack, saying three fighters attacked the crowd at the venue with guns and knives, and a fourth threw an incendiary device. The official said an intensive surveillance operation of the location was conducted prior to the attack.
“This attack took place in the normal context of the escalating war between the Islamic State and the countries fighting it,” it added, according to a SITE translation.
The United States had previously warned Moscow that ISIS fighters were determined to target Russia, days before the assailants stormed the concert hall.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Embassy in Russia said it was “monitoring reports that extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow, including concerts” and warned Americans that Warning to avoid such places.
National Security Council spokesman Adrian Watson said the U.S. government “shared this information with Russian authorities in accordance with its long-standing 'duty to warn' policy.”
But President Putin, in a speech on Tuesday, denounced the US warning as “provocative” and said: “These acts are blatant threats and an attempt to intimidate and destabilize our society. It's similar,” he said.
Experts say the scale of the carnage will be deeply embarrassing for Russia's leader, who championed a national security message when winning a staged election just a week ago. He said it would be.
According to RIA Novosti news agency, Russia thwarted several ISIS-related incidents last month and in March alone.
According to the RIA, at least four incidents have been reported across Russia, with local authorities saying ISIS affiliates were involved.
What else is Russia saying?
President Putin expressed his deep condolences after the shooting, calling it a “bloody barbaric act” in a video statement released on Saturday.
He thanked emergency workers who “did everything they could to save lives and get people out of the fire and from the epicenter of the fire and smoke,” adding that agencies are working hard to uncover the details of the massacre. He said he is working on it.
Earlier, Russian state media reported that Alexander Bortnikov, head of Russia's Security Service, told Russian leaders that 11 people had been detained in connection with the attack.
The Kremlin said four people believed to be directly involved in the attack were arrested as they tried to cross the border into Ukraine, TASS and other state media reported.
RIA later published an alleged confession from one of the men on Telegram. In the short video, a man with a bloody bandage on his head speaks in broken Russian. He revealed his name and age of 30 years. When asked where the weapons fell during the attack, he replied, “I don't know that city. Ask my friends. They know.”
CNN cannot independently verify the veracity of RIA Novosti's report or the statements made by the alleged attackers, which may have been made under duress.
RIA also posted an image of three of the suspected attackers taken into custody, which was uploaded to an unofficial channel earlier on Saturday, where the men are arrested in southwestern Bryansk. It matched the video showing the situation.
Russian state media has not published any images or videos of the fourth alleged attacker.
RIA said one of the alleged attackers had mentioned returning to Russia from Turkey earlier this month.
It also reported that the group lived together in a hostel north of Moscow, and that at least two of the four perpetrators had met only “10 to 12 days ago.” The car they drove to Crocus City Hall and then used for their getaway had been purchased through family connections.
Putin also appeared to shift the blame for the deadly attack on Ukraine in a video message on Saturday, claiming there was a “window” open for the attackers to flee into Ukraine.
“We now know in which country these bloody bastards were trying to hide from persecution: Ukraine,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a telegram.
Ukraine strongly denied any involvement. Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday said, “Such accusations are a deliberate attempt by the Kremlin to further stir up anti-Ukrainian hysteria in Russian society, increase the mobilization of Russian citizens to take part in criminal aggression against our country, and discredit it.” We consider it a provocation.” Ukraine from the perspective of the international community. ”
Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Service claimed on Friday, without providing evidence, that the attack was planned by Russian special services to justify increased attacks on Ukraine.
What was the international reaction?
World leaders quickly condemned the attack. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Saturday that the United States “strongly” condemns the massacre and “expresses our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed and affected by this heinous crime.” said.
Similar sentiments were expressed on behalf of the UK by British Foreign Secretary David Cameron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who said their “thoughts are with the families of all the victims and all the injured” in Germany.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said in a post on X that he hoped Poland's attack would not become “an excuse for someone to escalate violence and aggression.” Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed solidarity with all Russians, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra expressed solidarity with all Russians. Prime Minister Modi and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also condemned the attack.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Saturday offered his condolences to President Putin over the “serious terrorist attack that caused numerous casualties,” according to a report in Chinese state media.
Meanwhile, Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the incident “in the strongest possible terms” and the UN Security Council called it a “heinous and despicable” attack.
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CNN's Anna Chernova, Darya Tarasova, Tim Lister, Mariya Knight, Mia Alberti, Jennifer Houser, Paul Murphy, Matthew Chance, Mary Kay Maroney, Katherine Grise, Chris Lau, Samantha Woldenberg contributed reporting.
