Russian President Vladimir V. Putin met with government officials to discuss the tragic assault on a concert hall near Moscow that killed at least 137 people, the worst such attack in the capital in two decades. The Russian government seemed to be pointing the blame at Ukraine, with television reports suggesting Ukraine’s involvement in the attack to deflect attention from them. However, the United States and France have implicated the Islamic State, particularly an ISIS offshoot, in the attack, with France raising its terror alert to the highest level.
As Russians mourned the victims of the attack, they flocked to spontaneous memorials to lay flowers and hospitals to donate blood. Shopping malls owned by the same company as the concert hall announced indefinite closure, while emergency workers continued to clear debris from the concert hall. There was a general sense of anxiety in Russia, heightened by bomb threats that led to the evacuation of shopping malls in Moscow and other cities. The Kremlin seemed to view Ukraine as its main enemy, backing a coalition of Western states.
Russian state news outlets focused on the supposed connection of the four suspects, migrant workers from Tajikistan, to Ukraine, despite no evidence linking them. Russian investigators suggested that the suspects could have been hired by Ukraine to carry out the attack, indicating a shift in focus towards Ukraine in the aftermath of the tragedy. However, analysts believe that this narrative is intended for internal consumption and is likely political in nature, with President Putin carefully avoiding squarely blaming Ukraine for the attack.
French President Emmanuel Macron stated that the Islamic State was behind the attack and offered to cooperate with Russia in investigating the affiliate responsible. He emphasized that trying to divert blame elsewhere, like Ukraine, would be cynical and counterproductive. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri S. Peskov announced that President Putin would discuss measures to be taken after the attack, but he refrained from commenting on the ongoing investigation. The suspects, who were foreign migrant workers, presented challenges regarding labor migration regulations in Russia and prompted discussions about the reintroduction of capital punishment.
Overall, the tragic assault on the concert hall near Moscow has sparked mourning and anxiety in Russia, with the government seemingly attempting to shift blame onto Ukraine despite international intelligence implicating the Islamic State. The investigation into the attack is ongoing, with President Putin set to discuss potential measures to be taken in response. The focus on the four suspects’ connection to Ukraine by Russian state news outlets is seen as a political tactic, with President Putin careful not to directly accuse Ukraine. France has offered to cooperate with Russia in investigating the Islamic State affiliate responsible for the attack, urging against diverting blame elsewhere for security reasons.
