Russian diplomacy denounced on Friday as “a bloody terrorist attack” the deadly shooting and fire that left at least forty dead and more than a hundred injured. “The entire global community must condemn this heinous crime! », Added the spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, on Telegram.
Washington quickly deplored the tragedy, while appearing to dismiss Ukraine’s involvement. The White House thus assured, through a spokesperson, that it was “in thoughts with the victims of the terrible attack” that occurred at Crocus City Hall. The latter specified that he had “no indication at this stage that Ukraine or Ukrainians are involved”.
“I can’t give more details,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said, saying the United States was “seeking more information.” “I would advise against making a connection with Ukraine at such an early stage,” he said, however.
Ukraine denies any involvement
“Let’s be clear, Ukraine has absolutely nothing to do with these events,” an advisor to the Ukrainian presidency, Mykhaïlo Podoliak, assured on Telegram, describing the attack as a “terrorist act”. A unit of Russian anti-Kremlin fighters, behind several armed incursions on the Russian border in recent months, the Russian Freedom Legion, has also denied any involvement. “The Legion does not fight Russian civilians,” this group assured.
But Ukraine’s military intelligence directorate (GUR) accused the Kremlin and its special services of orchestrating the deadly attack to justify an “escalation” of the war. “The terrorist attack in Moscow was a planned and deliberate provocation by Russian special services on the orders of [Vladimir] Putin. Its objective is to justify even harsher strikes against Ukraine and total mobilization in Russia,” assured the GUR, estimating that the attack “[should] be understood as a threat from Putin to provoke escalation and d ‘expand the war’.
Western countries allied with Ukraine have refrained from linking the tragedy to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “The images reaching us from Moscow are terrible,” reacted the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a message posted on the social network X. “Our thoughts are with the victims and injured and the Russian people. »
“The European Union [EU] is shocked and dismayed by reports of a terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall in Moscow. The EU condemns all attacks against civilians,” said European Union spokesperson Peter Stano.
The U.S. Embassy in Russia warned American citizens on March 7 that “extremists [have] imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow, including concerts.” “If the United States has or had reliable data on this matter, it must immediately transmit it to the Russian side,” Maria Zakharova said on Friday.
Russia has been the target of numerous attacks in the past, committed by Islamist groups, but also of shootings without political motives or attributed to unbalanced people.
