March 24 Moscow concert hall attack | CNN

March 24 Moscow concert hall attack

Heather Chen Andrew Raine Kathleen Magramo
By Heather Chen, Andrew Raine, Catherine Nicholls, Antoinette Radford, Maureen Chowdhury and Kathleen Magramo, CNN
Updated 4:51 AM EDT, Mon March 25, 2024
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Huge crowds pay respects outside Moscow terror attack venue
00:57 - Source: CNN

What we covered here

  • The four suspects in the Crocus City Hall attack — which left at least 137 people dead in Moscow — were identified as Dalerdzhon Mirzoyev, Saidakrami Rachabalizoda, Shamsidin Fariduni and Mukhammadsobir Faizov.
  • The suspects, who are charged with committing a terrorist act and face possible life imprisonment, will be held in preventive custody at least until May 22. Three of the defendants pled guilty to all charges, according to state news agency TASS.
  • The Islamic State group, also known as ISIS, has claimed the attack and released graphic footage purporting to show the incident. The footage is significant as it suggests the perpetrators had a direct link to ISIS to be able to send the video.
  • Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said the main suspects arrested planned to flee into Ukraine. Ukraine has denied any connection. The UK warned that Russia was creating a “smokescreen of propaganda.”
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Suspects in deadly concert hall attack facing life imprisonment. Here's what we know

From CNN staff
People line up at a makeshift memorial outside Crocus City Hall near Moscow on March 24.
People line up at a makeshift memorial outside Crocus City Hall near Moscow on March 24.
Maxim Shemetov/Reuters

All four suspects in the Crocus City concert hall attack case have been remanded into pre-trial detention until May 22.  

They are charged with committing a terrorist act, according to the courts of general jurisdiction of the city of Moscow, which under the Russian Criminal Code is punishable by up to life imprisonment.

Three of the defendants pled guilty to all charges, according to state media news agency TASS.

All four are from Tajikistan, a former Soviet republic, and had been in Russia on either temporary or expired visas.

Friday’s attack left at least 137 people dead. The attack is Russia’s deadliest in two decades.

Catch up on the latest developments:

  • Day of mourning: Russian President Vladimir Putin declared Sunday a day of national mourning for the 137 victims in Friday’s attack.
  • Authorities work to identify victims: Procedures to identify those killed in the attack have begun, the city’s Department of Health said, according to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti. The Russian Investigative Committee said 62 bodies had been identified so far, adding that “for the remaining victims, genetic examinations are being carried out to establish their identities.”
  • Fighting terrorism in Syria and Turkey: Putin held separate calls with his Turkish and Syrian counterparts, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Bashar al-Assad, on Saturday and promised closer cooperation in fighting terrorism following the attack, according to a Kremlin readout.
  • Russian Embassy says no warnings from US: The Russian Embassy in Washington says it did not receive any warnings about a potential attack in Moscow from the US. Last week, Putin dismissed warnings by the US embassy in Russia that there could be attacks on large groups.
  • Putin links attack to Ukraine: Putin said the main suspects arrested planned to flee into Ukraine. Ukraine has denied any connection. The UK warned that Russia was creating a “smokescreen of propaganda.”
  • Terror alert: France has lifted its terror alert to its highest level following the deadly attack in Moscow, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said Sunday.

Here's what we know about the four suspects in the Moscow concert hall attack

From CNN’s Masha Angelova and Josh Pennington
Suspects in the shooting attack at the Crocus City Hall concert venue, from left: Saidakrami Murodali Rachabalizoda, Shamsidin Fariduni, Dalerdzhon Mirzoyev, and Muhammadsobir Fayzov.
Suspects in the shooting attack at the Crocus City Hall concert venue, from left: Saidakrami Murodali Rachabalizoda, Shamsidin Fariduni, Dalerdzhon Mirzoyev, and Muhammadsobir Fayzov.
Yulia Morozova/Reuters

Each of the four defendants charged with committing a terrorist act in the Crocus City concert hall attack was brought to court individually in Moscow on Sunday.

They are accused of committing a crime under part 3, provision “b” of article 205 of the Russian Criminal Code (terrorist act), which the Russian Criminal Code states is punishable with up to life imprisonment.

Three pled guilty to all charges, according to state media news agency TASS.

Here’s what we know about the accused:

  • Dalerdzhon Mirzoyev: The 32-year-old was the first defendant brought to court. Mirzoyev, from Tajikistan, had a temporary registration for three months in the southern Russian city of Novosibirsk in Siberia, but it expired, according to RIA Novosti.
  • Saidakrami Rachabalizoda: He appeared as the second defendant, and told the the court that he had Russian registration documents but couldn’t remember where they were. He communicated through an interpreter, according to state media RIA Novosti. Rachabalizoda was reportedly born in 1994.
  • Shamsidin Fariduni: He was born in 1998 in Tajikistan and is a citizen of the Central Asian country. Fariduni was officially employed at a factory in the Russian city of Podolsk and was registered in the city of Krasnogorsk, according to state media RIA Novosti.
  • Muhammadsober Faizov: The fourth defendant appeared nonresponsive in a wheelchair and was accompanied by a doctor to his court appearance, as seen in Moscow City Court’s video shared on Telegram. Faizov was temporarily unemployed, before which he worked in a barber shop in Ivanovo, a city northeast of Moscow, and is registered in that city, according to state media RIA Novosti. He was reportedly born in 2004.

This post has been updated with more information on the charges against the suspects.

Moscow court orders preventive detention for all four defendants in concert hall attack case

From CNN’s Masha Angelova and Josh Pennington
A suspect is escorted before a court hearing at the Basmanny district court in Moscow, Russia March 24.
A suspect is escorted before a court hearing at the Basmanny district court in Moscow, Russia March 24.
Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters

The Basmanny District Court of Moscow on Sunday granted the investigators’ motion for detention, as the chosen preventative measure, for all four defendants in the Crocus City Hall attack case.

All four men have been remanded into pre-trial detention until May 22, stated Moscow City Court via Telegram.  

They are all charged with committing a terrorist act, according to the courts of general jurisdiction of the city of Moscow, which under the Russian Criminal Code is punishable up to life imprisonment.

Each of the four defendants was brought to court individually on Sunday.

Three pled guilty to all charges, according to state media news agency TASS. 

The names of the four accused in the case are Dalerdzhon Mirzoyev, Saidakrami Rachabalizoda, Shamsidin Fariduni and Mukhammadsobir Faizov, Moscow City Courts announced via Telegram.

All four are from Tajikistan, a former Soviet republic, and have been in Russia on either temporary or expired visas.  

The court held closed hearings for each of the accused with no members of the public allowed, TASS reported, citing the court’s press service. 

This post has been updated with more information on the charges against the suspects.

2 defendants identified in Crocus City Hall attack

From CNN’s Masha Angelova, Michael Bodenhorst and Josh Pennington

The first defendant in the Crocus City concert hall attack case, Dalerdzhon Mirzoyev, has pleaded guilty on all counts, the press service of Moscow City Court told state media RIA Novosti.

He will be held in preventive custody at least through May 22. 

Mirzoyev is one of two defendants implicated in the attack who are facing possible life imprisonment, as reported by state media.

The suspects — Mirzoyev and Saidakrami Rachabalizoda — appeared in a Moscow court on Sunday on charges related to the attack.

Both individuals are accused of committing a terrorist act and could be sentenced to life imprisonment, according to state media outlet RIA Novosti. The prosecution has requested detention as a precautionary measure for both defendants.

Authorities have petitioned the court to conduct Mirzoyev’s hearing behind closed doors to safeguard the integrity of the proceedings, state media news agency TASS reported. 

First suspect apprehended in the Crocus City Hall attack arrives in court

From CNN’s Masha Angelova

The first suspect apprehended after the attack on Crocus City Hall that killed at least 137 people has arrived in court at the Basmanny Court of Moscow. 

Crocus City Hall killings are deadliest since Beslan school siege — these are some other recent attacks in Russia

From CNN Staff
Emergency services are seen on the scene of the deadly 2017 metro blast in St. Petersburg.
Emergency services are seen on the scene of the deadly 2017 metro blast in St. Petersburg.
Anton Vaganov/Reuters

The attack on Moscow’s popular Crocus City Hall that left at least 133 dead has become the deadliest attack in Russia since the Beslan school siege in 2004.

Some other recent attacks include:

  • September 26, 2022: Eleven children and four adults were killed when a gunman wearing Nazi symbols opened fire at a school in the western Russian city of Izhevsk. The shooter, who was reportedly wearing a black T-shirt with Nazi insignia and a helmet, died by suicide following the attack.
  • April 3, 2017: At least 11 people were killed in a blast on the St. Petersburg metro. The explosion tore through a train as it was traveling between two stations in Russia’s second-largest city.
  • October 31, 2015: A Russian passenger jet, Metrojet Flight 9268 crashed on October 31 after departing from the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, killing all 224 people on board. US intelligence analysis suggested that ISIS or its affiliates planted a bomb on the plane.
  • December 30, 2013: A massive explosion at a train station in the Russian city of Volgograd killed at least 16 people, including one police officer, the Investigative Committee of Russia said.
  • January 25, 2011: A suicide bomber attacked Domodedovo Airport, Moscow’s busiest airport, killing 35 people and wounding about 100, authorities and state television said.
  • March 29, 2010: Two explosions rocked the subway stations in central Moscow during rush hour, killing at least 38 people and wounding more than 60 others, spawning widespread public outrage. A website associated with Chechen separatists, who have long fought for independence from Russia, claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Rescuers, robotic systems and canine teams are currently on site of Crocus City concert hall

From CNN’s Darya Tarasova and Eve Brennan

More than 300 “specialists” and 154 pieces of equipment are currently on site at the Crocus City concert hall in Krasnogorsk, Moscow region, where a deadly attack took place Friday, Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations said on Telegram on Sunday.

The ministry said more than 400 cubic meters of structures had been dismantled by rescuers while specialized robotic systems, canine teams and psychologists from the ministry continue to work.

More than 1,600 calls have already been received on the department’s hotline, the ministry added.

The post was accompanied by a video showing dozens of emergency workers digging through the rubble of the partially burned-down concert hall.

Remember: At least 137 people died on Friday after attackers opened fire on civilians at the Crocus City concert hall, and set the building ablaze. The Islamic State group, also known as ISIS, has claimed the attack and released graphic footage purporting to show the incident. 

Putin lit a candle in memory of victims of the concert hall attack

From CNN's Eve Brennan and Anna Chernova
In this photo from the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin lights a candle in memory of victims of the Crocus City Hall attack, at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence in the Moscow region, on March 24.
In this photo from the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin lights a candle in memory of victims of the Crocus City Hall attack, at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence in the Moscow region, on March 24.
Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin lit a candle Sunday in memory of victims of the deadly attack at the Crocus City concert hall in Moscow region on Friday.

Putin also expressed deep condolences following the Moscow shooting, calling it a “barbaric terrorist act” in a video statement released Saturday.

More background: The deadly attack comes barely a week after Putin secured his fifth presidential term. The large-scale attack is damaging for a leader who portrays himself as someone able to guarantee order.

Death toll in concert hall attack rises to 137 — including 3 children, Russian Investigative Committee says

From CNN's Darya Tarasova 

The Russian Investigative Committee has updated the death toll in the Crocus City attack to 137.

The committee added that 62 bodies have been identified so far. 

“For the remaining victims, genetic examinations are being carried out to establish their identities,” the statement said. “The investigation of the crime scene continues.” 

Russian Embassy in US says it did not receive notification of impending terrorist attack

From CNN’s Katya Krebs in Moscow and Eve Brennan in London
The Russian flag flies in front of the country's embassy in Washington, DC, on February 16.
The Russian flag flies in front of the country's embassy in Washington, DC, on February 16.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

The Russian Embassy in Washington says it did not receive any warnings about a potential terror attack in Moscow from the US, Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov told Russian state news agency RIA Novosti on Sunday.

The US diplomatic mission had warned Americans to “avoid large gatherings” at the beginning of March due to reports “that extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow.”

Earlier this week Putin had dismissed those warnings, telling the FSB that the embassy warnings were “provocative” and “outright blackmail.”

“We did not receive any notifications or messages in advance,” Antonov told RIA.

“We paid attention to this, but,… I had no contacts with either the White House or the State Department on this issue,” he added.

In light of Friday’s attack at Crocus, Antonov told RIA Novosti that contacts between the US and the Russian Federation in the fight against terrorism have been “destroyed,” adding that the fault was not Moscow’s.

“I always reminded the Americans that our president was the first who, in 2001, extended his hand to the Americans and declared his readiness to provide help. And something worked, it worked… and it’s not our fault that all of this has been destroyed today,” he said.

Memorials have become a regular feature of Russian life

From CNN's Matthew Chance, Chief Global Affairs Correspondent, Moscow
People place flowers at a memorial outside Crocus City Hall in Moscow on Sunday.
People place flowers at a memorial outside Crocus City Hall in Moscow on Sunday.
Vitaly Smolnikov/AP

Huge memorials like the the one at the Crocus City Hall have become a regular feature of life in Russia — a sign of instability and volatility inside the country.

Last year people laid flowers for Wagner mercenary leader Prigozhin who died in mysterious plane crash after leading an abortive march on Moscow.

And last month, thousands turned out to pay respects to the prominent Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny, who died suddenly in his penal colony.

Now, thousands of Russians are mourning the victims of this latest terror attack.

Alexander Matveev, 37, told CNN that people in Russia feel insecure and worried that another attack could take place.

He said he heard Putin suggest that Ukraine may be involved and it made sense to him.

“He said they were trying to escape to Ukraine. This makes sense. They just found some halfwits who were eager for money,” he said. Ukraine has strongly denied any connection.

But, Matveev added he would wait to hear what investigators find.

“There is a bit of anxiety here. We are worried if another attack will take place.”

Procedures to identify victims of Crocus City attack have begun

From CNN’s Darya Tarasova

Procedures to identify those killed in the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall in Moscow region on Friday have begun, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported that the city’s Department of Health had said on Sunday.

Such procedures are taking place at the Moscow Forensic Medical Examination Bureau where relatives of the victims have been invited in advance, according to RIA.

RIA added that the department said molecular genetic examination may be required in some cases, given the complexity of the procedure, which will take at least two weeks.

Russia creating a "smokescreen of propaganda" following attack, UK says

From CNN’s Thom Poole and Eve Brennan in London
UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt gives an interview in London in November 2023.
UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt gives an interview in London in November 2023.
Isabel Infantes/Reuters

UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt told British broadcaster Sky News that the UK government has “very little confidence in anything the Russian government says” with regards to the Kremlin’s claim that Ukraine was somehow involved in the Moscow Crocus City attack on Friday.

On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an address that the four attackers had tried to escape to Ukraine “where, according to preliminary data, a window was prepared for them on the Ukrainian side to cross the state border.”

Hunt went on to say he takes “what the Russian government says with an enormous pinch of salt… after what we have seen from them over the last few years.”

CNN’s Anna Chernova contributed to this report.

Huge crowds outside Moscow concert hall to honour victims

From Katya Krebs in Moscow
People gather at a memorial outside the Crocus City Hall in Moscow, Russia, on March 24.
People gather at a memorial outside the Crocus City Hall in Moscow, Russia, on March 24.
Vitaly Smolnikov/AP

Huge crowds of people are currently lining up in the rain to place flowers at a memorial outside the Crocus City Hall in Moscow region where 133 people were killed during a terror attack on Friday, a CNN team on the ground reported Sunday.

Members of the clergy are also paying their respects and have initiated prayers which crowds joining in the singing. 

Hundreds of flowers and a group of white balloons were left near the memorial.

Pope Francis prays for victims of "vile" Crocus City Hall attack

From CNN's Christopher Lamb
Pope Francis attends the Palm Sunday Mass in the Vatican, on March 24.
Pope Francis attends the Palm Sunday Mass in the Vatican, on March 24.
Yara Nardi/Reuters

Pope Francis has condemned Friday’s “vile” concert hall attack in Moscow, speaking after the Palm Sunday Mass in the Vatican.

Francis, 87, said he was praying for the victims. More than 130 people were killed in the attack, and even more injured after assailants stormed the venue with guns and incendiary devices.

“May the Lord receive them in his peace and comfort their families,” the pope told a crowd at St Peter’s Square.

“May he convert the hearts of those who plan, organize and carry out these inhuman actions,” he added.

Appalling Moscow terror attack is a blow to Putin, who promised Russia security

Analysis by Matthew Chance, CNN's Chief Global Affairs Correspondent, Moscow
Law enforcement officers are seen deployed outside the burning Crocus City Hall concert hall in Krasnogorsk, outside Moscow, on March 22.
Law enforcement officers are seen deployed outside the burning Crocus City Hall concert hall in Krasnogorsk, outside Moscow, on March 22.
Stringer/AFP/Getty Images

Barely a week since Vladimir Putin secured his fifth presidential term, Russia has been plunged into carnage and disarray.

The appalling attack on the vast Crocus City Hall concert venue and shopping complex near Moscow, which has been claimed by ISIS, has left hundreds of innocents killed or injured.

This is hardly the stability and security for which so many Russians voted for President Putin. For years, the Kremlin strongman has been cast as a leader able to guarantee order in this vast, turbulent country. But Russia today seems more insecure and volatile than at any point in Putin’s 24 years in power.

The Kremlin’s brutal war in Ukraine, now in its third horrific year, has cost Russians dearly. The military doesn’t publicize casualty figures, but US estimates suggest more than 300,000 Russians have been killed or injured.

The recent death of Alexey Navalny, Russian most prominent opposition leader, has permanently silenced a vocal Kremlin critic. But the thousands who attended his funeral in Moscow, or who turned out to vote in a Midday Against Putin mass gathering at polling stations on the last day of the presidential election, indicate a base of discontent.

Now, the focus is firmly on the apparent reappearance in Russia of large-scale Jihadi terror attacks, unrelated to the Ukraine war or domestic opposition to the Kremlin. For a leader who has promised security and stability to Russians, a major attack on Russian soil is yet another powerful blow.

Read the full analysis here.

Putin agrees closer cooperation in fighting terrorism with Turkey and Syria following attack

From CNN’s Clare Sebastian in London and Sophie Jeong in Hong Kong

Russian President Vladimir Putin held separate calls with his Turkish and Syrian counterparts, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Bashar al-Assad, on Saturday and promised closer cooperation in fighting terrorism following the deadly concert attack in Moscow, according to a Kremlin readout.

The readout said Erdogan offered “his deep and heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of the victims” and “stressed the urgent need for closer bilateral cooperation in the fight against the terrorist threat.”

In a conversation with Putin, Assad “wished fortitude to the victims’ families and friends,” and the leaders “agreed to intensify contacts… in addressing counterterrorism,” according to the Kremlin.

Russia is the strongest foreign power operating in Syria, and Putin has long allied himself with Assad, throwing the full weight of the Russian military behind the Syrian Army.

Russia begins day of national mourning for victims of concert hall attack

Russia is observing a day of mourning for the more than 130 victims of the attack on a Moscow concert hall on Friday.

President Vladimir Putin declared Sunday a day of national mourning, vowing to punish the perpetrators and expressing condolences to those who had lost loved ones.

“The whole country, our whole people, mourns with you,” he said. The attack is Russia’s deadliest in two decades.

A man walks past an advertising screen displaying an image of a lit candle in Moscow's subway on Sunday.
A man walks past an advertising screen displaying an image of a lit candle in Moscow's subway on Sunday.
Olga Maltseva/AFP/Getty Images
A Russian national flag is seen lowered on the headquarters of State Duma in Moscow on Sunday.
A Russian national flag is seen lowered on the headquarters of State Duma in Moscow on Sunday.
Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters

It's morning in Moscow. Here's what you need to know

From CNN staff

A Friday night attack at Crocus City Hall, a popular concert venue complex near Moscow, left more than 130 people killed and even more wounded after assailants stormed the venue with guns and incendiary devices. ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack, without providing evidence.

Four suspects involved in the attack were detained in the Bryansk region and taken to Moscow, where they are now in the custody of Russia’s Investigative Committee, Russian state media TASS reported Saturday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said “miserable” Russian President Vladimir Putin waited overnight before publicly addressing Russians, only to accuse Ukraine of having a hand in the terror attack at a concert hall near Moscow.

Here are other headlines you should know:

  • More on the attack: According to the interior ministry, “all terrorists detained in the Bryansk region are foreign citizens,” Russian state media reported. RIA Novosti published on Telegram the purported confession of one of the apprehended men. CNN cannot independently verify the RIA Novosti report or the statements made by the alleged attacker, which may have been made under duress.
  • Ukraine vehemently denies any connection: Defense Intelligence of Ukraine spokesperson Andrii Yusov firmly denied his country had anything to do with the terror attack. Earlier Saturday, Putin told the Russian people that the perpetrators had “tried to hide and moved towards Ukraine, where, according to preliminary data, a window was prepared for them on the Ukrainian side to cross the border.” A handful of Russian officials have suggested without evidence that Ukraine may have been involved in the attack as well.
  • Global reactions: Leaders around the world — such as the French, Israeli and Turkish presidents — have expressed their condolences and condemnation of the onslaught. The United States “strongly condemns” the shooting, according to the White House and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also denounced the attack, stressing that ISIS is a significant global threat at a news conference Saturday.
  • Belarus claims it thwarted suspects: Belarusian special services helped Russia prevent the “terrorists” who allegedly carried out the deadly attack from escaping across the border Friday night, the country’s ambassador in Moscow said.
  • Estimated damage total: The total estimated damage to the Moscow region’s Crocus City Hall after Friday’s terror attack is between 9.5-11.4 billion rubles, or approximately $103-124 million, according to a shopping union vice president, as reported by Russian state media RIA Novosti.