RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin called the brutal attack as an attempt to undermine the unity of his country.
‘‘The key to our collective success, as vividly and emotionally expressed by the head of the trade unions, lies in the unity of the diverse Russian society. This unity stands as the fundamental condition for our progress. Given the ongoing investigation’s findings, it becomes evident that the primary objective of the perpetrators behind the brutal terrorist attack in Moscow was to undermine our unity,’’ President Vladimir Putin stated.
This is what President Vladimir Putin said on the Crocus City Hall attack at a meeting of the 12th Congress of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions in Moscow.
Putin also added that Russia was an unlikely target for ‘attacks by Islamic fundamentalists’.
‘‘There are no other discernible motives, as Russia is not a typical target for terrorist attacks by Islamic fundamentalists. Our country proudly showcases a remarkable model of interfaith, inter-religious, and interethnic harmony, both internally and on the global stage, making it an improbable target for such attacks. However, the clear objective of destabilizing Russian societal unity, particularly in contemporary times, is unmistakable,’’ President Putin said.
Meanwhile, Putin stressed that the Russian economy will not transition to wartime footing, despite the current circumstances.
‘‘Despite the circumstances, we are not transitioning our economy into a wartime footing. everything remains balanced at present. We are not rescinding any social protections for workers; on the contrary, we are diligently upholding them and, in fact, intensifying the accountability of all authorities for ensuring their enforcement. I eagerly anticipate our collaborative and concerted efforts to attain our national objectives,’’ according to Putin.
3 suspects detained in Moscow, Yekaterinburg, and OMSK over Crocus City Hall attack
To recall, in late March, unidentified armed gunmen dressed in military fatigues opened fire in the Crocus City Hall.
The said area is a 6,000-seat multipurpose concert hall where a popular Russian rock band was supposed to perform, following the mass shooting, a massive fire broke out, engulfing the whole building.
More than 140 people were killed, and Russian authorities captured several suspects who are currently in custody until May 22.
While Putin said that ‘radical Islamists’ were responsible, he also hit out at the US for ‘trying through various channels to convince its satellites and other countries of the world that, according to their intelligence, there is allegedly no trace of Kyiv in the Moscow terrorist attack’ It can be remembered that the Russian investigative committee has said the Crocus City Hall attack had evidence of links to Ukrainian nationalists.
US National Security Spokesperson John Kirby called the Russian Investigative Committee’s allegations ‘nonsense and propaganda’.
Earlier, the U.S. claimed that the Crocus City Hall incident was a ‘terrorist attack that was conducted by ISIS’ and that there was ‘absolutely no evidence that the Ukrainian government had anything to do with it.
