Russia demands UN action after IS claims Moscow concert attack
Maria Zakharova issued a brief statement following the tragic shooting at the Krokus concert hall in Moscow. As the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, she demanded the UN condemn the attack and responded to messages from the White House with the usual accusations. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack late in the evening.
5:32 AM EDT, March 23, 2024
Reports by Russian media or government representatives often contain elements of propaganda, playing a role in the information war waged by the Russian Federation.
The Islamic State has claimed its responsibility for the shooting at Krokus concert hall, a tragic event that resulted in 40 people dead and at least 140 injured. However, it failed to present any proof to back its claim.
"We have received calls from all over the world from ordinary citizens offering their condolences for the terrible tragedy at the Krokus concert hall," Maria Zakharova stated. "They strongly condemn this bloody terrorist attack, which has unfolded before the eyes of the entire world," she added in her statement, directing these calls to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"Russia demands that the UN condemn the terrorist attack at the Krokus hall," she added. Zakharova echoed these sentiments during her appearance on Rossija 24 television.
Zakharova responds to the White House: "Let them say"
Zakharova also addressed remarks from the White House, which indicated that they had warned Vladimir Putin about the risk of terrorist attacks in Russia and reassured that Ukrainians did not perpetrate the shooting at the Krokus hall.
"The White House claims there are no indications of Ukraine or Ukrainians being involved in the terrorist attack in Moscow. How can officials in Washington assert someone's innocence amid such a tragedy? If the United States has credible information, it should immediately share it with Russia. Without substantive data, the White House is not in a position to exonerate anyone. As declared by the Russian leadership, competent authorities will identify all individuals involved," Zakharova wrote on her Telegram profile.
US warned about the attack
About two weeks prior, the US warned Russian services about intercepted documents hinting that the Islamic State – specifically its Khorasan Province branch (ISIS-K) – was planning a terrorist attack on Russians, recalled Christo Grozew on Dozhd television.
Meduza also reminded its readers that on March 19, Vladimir Putin dismissed warnings from US diplomats about a planned terrorist attack on a crowded area in Moscow as "Western blackmail," an attempt "to intimidate and destabilize our society." Later that evening, the Islamic State acknowledged their role in the attack.
