Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, declared that the attack on Friday's performance was a savage act of terrorism and vowed to bring those responsible to justice.
He further asserted that Ukraine was setting up a "window" to facilitate the suspects' escape. Kiev has adamantly denied any involvement in the assault.
In a speech he gave in public on Saturday in Moscow, the Russian capital, he disclosed them.
Gunmen wearing camouflage attire opened fire on concertgoers at the Crocus City Hall outside Moscow on Friday, as reported by Saturday PUNCH.
What many have called "one of the worst such attacks in Russia in years" involved the use of automatic firearms, according to several Russian media sites.
As the Soviet-era rock group "Picnic" was set to perform, at least five gunmen were seen in unconfirmed footage firing repeatedly at terrified, yelling bystanders who were cowering in the music hall, according to Reuters.
In response, Putin stated in a five-minute broadcast speech that before the assailants were caught by Russian security forces, someone in Ukraine had attempted to assist them in escaping from Russia across the border.
He made no mention of the American officials' conclusion that an Islamic State branch was responsible for the attack, nor did he definitively attribute the act to Ukraine.
But he promised to prosecute "whoever they may be, whoever may have sent them," the people who committed the crimes.
Referring to the four attackers who the Kremlin claimed had been apprehended in western Russia, Mr. Putin stated, "They were trying to hide and were moving toward Ukraine." "The Ukrainian side prepared a window for them to cross the border based on preliminary information."
While American officials claim there is no proof of Ukrainian complicity in the attack, Ukrainian officials have consistently denied any involvement.
American officials expressed fear on Friday that Putin might attempt to wrongly attribute the attack to Ukraine. According to some analysts and Kremlin critics, Putin might use this charge as justification for stepping up Russia's invasion once further.
In order to effectively coordinate our efforts in the battle against the shared enemy of international terrorism, he continued, "We are counting on cooperation with all countries that genuinely share our pain and are ready, in their deeds."
He announced that Monday would be observed as a national day of sorrow and announced the tightening of security measures throughout Russia.
Putin said, "The most important thing right now is to stop the people who were responsible for this horrific massacre from committing new crimes."
Meanwhile, the chief of Russia's Federal Security Service said in a statement that the nation has detained 11 persons, including the four gunmen believed to have carried out the incident.
133 Killed
Russia's Investigative Committee said on Saturday morning that further remains were discovered under the debris, bringing the total number of deaths to at least 133.
Additional bodies were discovered, according to the Russian Investigative Committee, while rescue workers cleaned the debris from the fire at the Crocus City arena performance arena. At the location, the search is still in progress.
Tatyana Golikova, the Deputy Chairman of the Russian Government, stated that at least 107 individuals, including three children, are being treated for injuries in hospitals in Moscow.
The attack officially ranks among the worst acts of terrorism in contemporary Russian history, with more fatalities than the 2002 hostage situation at Moscow's theater in Dubrovka, which claimed 130 lives.
Since many people are reportedly trapped beneath the debris, the death toll is anticipated to grow.
Additionally, early this month, representatives of the US embassy sent out a warning asking citizens to avoid big gatherings. It has reaffirmed this caution by confirming that the attack did not injure any US citizens.
In the meantime, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken denounced the terrorist incident in Moscow in a statement issued on Saturday.
Additionally, following a fatal shooting at a music hall close to Moscow on Saturday, Chinese President Xi Jinping offered his condolences to Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating that China resolutely condemns terrorist attacks and opposes all types of terrorism.
Additionally, Nigeria's minister of foreign affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, personally signed a statement expressing his condolences and sincere sympathies to the president of Russia.
"The Nigerian government and people express their condolences to the victims of this tragic attack and pray for their souls to rest," the statement said. We also offer prayers for the injured people to heal quickly.
"We stand in brotherhood with the government and Russian Federation at this difficult time, and we extend our sincere sympathies and condolences to His Excellency Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia."
PUNCH NEWS
