The Aftermath of Deadly Moscow Concert Hall Attack: ISIS-K and Putin's Disinformation Campaign
A law enforcement officer patrols the scene of the gun attack at the Crocus City Hall concert hall in Kasnogorsk. Source: Getty Images
On March 22, 2024, Russia experienced its deadliest terror attack in two decades at the Crocus City Hall music venue in Krasnogorsk, a suburb north of Moscow. The tragic event unfolded around 8:00 PM MSK when four gunmen began firing at the crowd of an estimated 6,000 people and subsequently set fire to the building. The attackers' actions led to fires that engulfed the venue, resulting in the partial collapse of the roof. The aftermath was devastating, with reports of 144 fatalities, including individuals who later died in hospitals. Additionally, over 551 concertgoers suffered injuries from gunshot wounds and fire-related incidents.
According to a senior official from the Russian Ministry of Interior, this incident is one of the deadliest terror attacks in Central Russia since the Domodedovo airport bombing in January 2011, which claimed 37 lives and injured 172 others.
The four suspects named by Russian authorities are Dalerdzhon Mirzoyev, Saidakrami Murodali Rachabalizoda, Shamsidin Fariduni, and Muhammadsobir Fayzov. They were arrested approximately fourteen hours after the attack, according to Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB).
Videos depicting the suspects’ harsh interrogation sessions were reportedly leaked by Russian security forces, with indications that at least one individual endured electric shocks. During court proceedings, the defendants identified as Mirzoyev and Rachabalizoda exhibited visible signs of physical trauma, including black eyes and a heavily bandaged ear, reportedly due to partial severing during their arrest. Additionally, the man identified as Fariduni displayed severe facial swelling, while Fayzov appeared to lose consciousness upon being wheeled into court in a wheelchair, attired in a thin hospital gown.
The men were identified as citizens of Tajikistan, and ten others suspected of aiding the attack have been arrested in Russia. The court identified Mirzoyev and Rachabalizoda as having admitted guilt, and all four suspects will remain in pre-trial detention until at least May 22.
ISIS has claimed responsibility for the deadly Moscow attack. According to ABC News, “ISIS released a statement later in the evening claiming their fighters ‘attacked’ a ‘big gathering for Christians in the Russian Moscow suburb,’ in the statement, injuring ‘hundreds’ and causing ‘major destruction.’”
In March, The United States gathered intelligence and warned Russia that Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIS-K), a branch of the group based in Afghanistan, had been planning an attack on Moscow. However, the Kremlin dismissed these warnings as propaganda and accused Western and Ukrainian intelligence agencies of attempting to interfere in their upcoming election.
ISIS-K and other Islamist extremist groups have long harbored grievances against Moscow stemming from historical events such as the Soviet war in Afghanistan during the 1980s, Russia's counterinsurgency campaigns in Chechnya and the North Caucasus in the 1990s and 2000s, and its support for Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria. A notable recent incident includes a suicide bomb attack by ISIS-K on the Russian embassy in Kabul in 2022.
Three days after the Moscow concert attack, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested in a video statement that the attack was linked to Ukraine, saying that the suspects had been detained in the western Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, and “where, according to preliminary data, a window was prepared for them on the Ukrainian side to cross the border.”
Putin claimed Kyiv was behind the attack because it wanted to "sow panic in our society and at the same time show their own population that all is not lost for the Kyiv regime." On the Tuesday after the attack, he said, without offering any evidence, that the assault “was prepared by both radical Islamists themselves and, naturally, facilitated by Western special services.”
Iran, a diplomatic ally of Russia, also warned about a possible attack and a terrorist operation targeting large gatherings in Russia. However, the Kremlin dismissed these warnings as propaganda and an attempt by the West to meddle in its presidential election.
It is challenging for Russia to dismiss intelligence from Iran regarding the attack, given that both countries are under Western sanctions and have deepened military and other cooperation during the Ukraine war. This raises questions about the effectiveness of Russian security services.
Following the attack, there has been a surge in disinformation and conspiracy theories from Russian state-controlled media and online platforms. These narratives often blame Western and Ukrainian involvement in Russian affairs, aligning with a broader pattern of attributing negative events in Russia to external actors, particularly Western powers. However, the disregard of warnings from Iran indicates a potential lapse in Russia's security measures, raising concerns about its ability to address homeland security issues and Putin's efforts to maintain public confidence ahead of the upcoming election.