The Moscow authorities have arrested 11 people, 4 of whom directly participated in the terrorist attack on the “Crocus” concert venue, according to information provided by the head of the FSB in the Kremlin and reproduced by RIA Novosti.

About the arrest of the terrorists, which took place in the Bryansk region, near the border with Ukraine, the head of the Russian intelligence service, Alexander Bortnikov, has informed Vladimir Putin about it.

“The director of the FSB reported to Putin about the arrest of 11 people, including all four terrorists who directly participated in the terrorist attack,” the presidential office said, while operations to identify accomplices of the terrorists continued. The arrested are taken to Moscow.

Earlier, a Russian lawmaker announced the arrest of two suspects following a pursuit of a Renault car, which was spotted by police in the Bryansk region, about 340 kilometers southwest of Moscow, and refused to stop for a police check last night.

Video footage of interrogations of those arrested who are considered the main suspects in the bloodbath at the concert venue on the outskirts of Moscow, are being released by Russian media.

In particular, in a video of the interrogation of one of the arrested, which was made public via Telegram by the editor-in-chief of Russia Today, Margarita Simonyan and played by the major Russian networks, the suspect is shown shaking and stating that strangers promised him half a million rubles via Telegram to shoot indiscriminately at the concert goers at the Krokus multi-venue.

Here is the video with English subtitles pic.twitter.com/mGkUbKcqaN

— Ragıp Soylu (@ragipsoylu) March 23, 2024

In comments attributed to her, Simonian attempted to disassociate last night’s attack from ISIS, saying that “we already know the names of the attackers, we have seen their faces and learned about what they are chirping about during interrogations. It immediately becomes clear why yesterday the American media reported in unison that this was an ISIS strike. This is not about ISIS and the perpetrators are chosen in such a way that the stupid world community will be convinced”.

🇷🇺🚨Terrorist Leader Captured
Russia have released footage of the alleged Terrorist Leader – speaking through an interpreter:-
“We lived in hostel with other migrants from Tajikistan. I could not find a job for a long time.Then someone called Abdula text me & offered me to kill… pic.twitter.com/SZJ5aVwyLm

— Javeria Sultan (@javeria_sultan1) March 23, 2024

The vehicle allegedly used by the attackers, a white Renault, was spotted by police in the Bryansk region, near the border with Ukraine. A pistol, a magazine for an assault rifle and passports from Tajikistan were found in the car.

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Putin’s public statement

Vladimir Putin made the first official public statement after the terrorist attack on the concert venue, on the outskirts of Moscow, on Saturday afternoon, attempting to link the bloodshed with Ukraine.

During his statement, the Russian president called what happened on Friday night a “bloody and barbaric terrorist attack”, in which “dozens of peaceful and innocent people fell victim”.

Putin expressed his gratitude to the ambulance crews, firefighters and rescuers “who did everything to save people’s lives” and declared March 24 a day of national mourning.

Referring to the perpetrators, he emphasized that “they hid and moved towards Ukraine, where a “window” of reception had been prepared for them”, adding that “the criminals came out to kill in cold blood, to shoot Russians on contact, just like the Nazis once did. All perpetrators, organizers and executors of the terrorist attack will be justly punished.”

“The Federal Security Service of Russia and other law enforcement agencies are working to identify and expose the entire base of the terrorists’ accomplices: those who provided them with transportation, planned escape routes from the scene of the crime, prepared hiding places, weapons caches and ammunition. I repeat that the investigative and law enforcement agencies will do everything to establish all the details of the crime”, Putin added.

Ukraine is not involved in the attack on Moscow, says the spokesman of the military intelligence service of Kiev

Ukraine was not involved in yesterday’s attack near Moscow and allegations of a Ukrainian connection “have no relation to reality,” a spokesman for Kiev’s military intelligence service said today.

Russia’s FSB security service said “all four terrorists” behind the attack on a concert hall near the Russian capital were arrested while heading to the Ukrainian border and had contacts with Ukraine.

“This is, of course, another lie by the Russian special services, which has nothing to do with reality and cannot withstand any criticism,” Andrei Yusov, of the Defense Ministry’s Intelligence Directorate, told Reuters.

He added: “Ukraine is of course not involved in this terrorist attack. Ukraine is defending its territorial sovereignty from Russian invaders, liberating its own territories and fighting with the occupying army and against military targets, not civilians”.

According to the morning update of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation – 93 people (among them three children), with “the number of victims may rise”.

Russian authorities said on Saturday morning that 107 people were in hospital, with 16 (including a child) in extremely serious condition.