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March 28, 2024 11:13am | Updated 11:58am IST – Moscow
President Putin's suggestion that Ukraine was involved in the attack, which killed more than 130 concertgoers, has mixed feelings.
Toys and flowers left by mourners are placed in front of Crocus Town Hall in the western suburbs of Moscow, Russia, on March 27, 2024. Photo credit: AP
There was shock, sadness and anger on the streets of Moscow on Sunday as Russia marked a national day of mourning following the country's deadliest attack in two decades.
And President Vladimir Putin has suggested that Ukraine was involved in the attack, which killed more than 130 concertgoers as mourners laid flowers at memorial sites and lit candles in churches. There were mixed feelings about the situation.
“I'm still in shock,” Ruslana Baranovskaya, a 35-year-old lawyer, said on a street off the capital's famous Red Square. “It was a tragedy that devastated me emotionally.”
Across the square, which was closed to the public, flags were flown at half-staff over the Kremlin.
On Friday night, gunmen stormed the Crocus Town Hall concert hall and set the building on fire, killing at least 137 people, including three children.
The Islamic State (IS) extremist group has repeatedly claimed responsibility for the attacks and released graphic videos of the group carrying out the attacks.
Putin has not commented on the Islamic State claims, but said four of the arrested armed suspects were trying to flee to Ukraine. And the FSB Security Service said the attackers had “contacts” on the other side of the border.
Russians have been divided in Moscow over claims of ties to Ukraine, which both Kiev and the United States deny.
“I don't believe the reports about Ukraine's involvement,” said Vamig Aliyev, a 22-year-old medical student whose parents are Muslim and who often went to the concert hall.
But some wondered if Kiev was to blame.
“War in every corner”
“War is happening not only on TV, but in every corner of the country,” said store owner Valery Chernov, 52.
“It is difficult to say who is behind all this, definitely an enemy of Russia. He is an enemy of Putin.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last week that Russia is in a “state of war” with Ukraine, escalating the official language used to talk about the campaign.
“It started as a special military operation, but the moment this group was formed there and the Western countries became participants on the Ukrainian side, for us it already became a war,” he said.
In Washington, the White House insisted Sunday that Kiev had no role in the massacre. “ISIS is solely responsible for this attack. There was no involvement of Ukraine,” White House National Security Council Press Secretary Adrian Watson said, using the acronym for the Islamic State group.
Officials said Sunday that more than 5,000 people rushed to donate blood for hospitalized patients in Moscow and surrounding areas after the attack.
And advertising signs on the sides of buildings and in subway stations were increasingly being replaced by black signs with the words “Crocus City Hall” or “We mourn.”
Mourners flooded the concert hall in northwestern Moscow and laid bouquets of red roses and carnations outside.
“Mr. Beslan mourns.”
The attack was Russia's deadliest since the Beslan school siege in 2004. At the gymnasium of the school No. 1 in the town, 1,500 kilometers south of Moscow, which now serves as a memorial to the victims of the siege, mourners laid out candles in remembrance. Photos shared on social media were displayed.
The following was written on the candle: “Moscow. We mourn. Beslan.” For many in the capital, the grief was still raw. “It's difficult to speak and even remember. To be honest, right now I'm having bad dreams,” said Alyona, 39, from Moscow.
On the other hand, some people asked questions. “The United States and Britain have warned their citizens,” Baranovskaya said, referring to warnings issued by several Western embassies on March 7 about an impending attack on the Russian capital. “The question is, why didn't our security services know?” she asked.
Just three days before the attack, Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly rejected Western warnings as a “provocation” aimed at “intimiding and destabilizing Russian society.” There was also fear among many on the streets.
“I feel anxious that if I go somewhere, I will be killed. It's scary,” Baranovskaya said.
“There is a sense that we have to be careful. It is not a good idea to take the subway now,” said Aliyev, a medical student. He said Russian society would be united after the attack, although he doubted the Kremlin's interpretation.
“Events like this bring us together and try to overcome obstacles together.”
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