Crocus City Hall attack

On March 22, 2024, a terrible event happened at the Crocus City Hall music venue near Moscow, Russia. Around 8:00 PM local time, just before a concert was about to start, several attackers began harming the people there. They used guns and set fires, causing great fear and sadness.

Sadly, many people lost their lives, and hundreds more were hurt. This was one of the worst such events in Russia in many years. The group behind it said they were responsible, and leaders in Russia spoke about how terrible the act was.

The Russian government worked to find those responsible and made a day for the country to remember those who were lost. This event reminded everyone of the importance of safety and caring for one another.

Background

Further information: List of terrorist incidents linked to Islamic State – Khorasan Province and Terrorism in Russia

Russia has faced many serious attacks over the years. These include explosions in Moscow apartments in 1999, a situation at a Moscow theater in 2002, an event at a school in Beslan in 2004, and a bombing at an airport in Domodedovo in 2011. Many of these attacks were carried out by Muslim groups, often from Chechnya.

The Islamic State has also carried out big attacks at music venues across Europe since the 2010s, including a well-known event in Paris in 2015 and a bombing in Manchester in 2017. In 2015, they caused a plane to crash over Egypt, and in 2022, they were responsible for a bombing at the Russian embassy in Kabul.

Crocus City Hall was built in 2009 and can hold up to 6,200 people. It is a large building with many stories and is part of a bigger area with shops, restaurants, and other places to visit.

Attack

On March 22, 2024, the Russian band Picnic was set to perform at Crocus City Hall. Just before the show began, armed people started shooting at the crowd. Some people thought the noise was part of the show at first, but it was not. Sadly, this happened while children and teenagers were also there for a ballroom dancing competition.

The attackers used guns and set fires inside the building. Some people were able to escape because a 15-year-old named Islam Khalilov helped them find a safe way out. Police and emergency teams arrived later to help everyone. The fires caused parts of the roof to fall down, and the building was badly damaged.

Casualties

The attack caused many injuries and deaths. Sadly, 151 people lost their lives, and many more were hurt, some very seriously. Some people died from breathing in harmful smoke. Among the victims were six children who were killed, and seven more were injured. Eight children lost their parents in the tragedy. Most of those affected lived near Moscow, including places like Krasnogorsk and Khimki. People from several countries, such as Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, were also among the victims.

The search for those affected ended on March 23. The health department in Moscow expected to finish identifying the bodies within two weeks. By March 30, 134 deaths had been confirmed. The band Picnic shared that they and their team were safe, though one staff member sadly did not survive.

Investigation

Twelve people were detained in connection with the event at Crocus City Hall. This included the four individuals believed to have carried out the attack. They were found in a car near the border of Ukraine. Russian authorities worked with nearby countries to stop the suspects from escaping.

The suspects appeared in court and faced serious charges related to the attack. Some of them admitted to being involved. The investigation continued with many more people being questioned and arrested for helping in any way. The trial for those involved began in 2025, and sentences were given in 2026.

Suspects

Authorities arrested twelve people in connection with the attack, with eight appearing in court by March 26. Nine were arrested in the town of Vahdat, Tajikistan, and four others were arrested in Dagestan for allegedly giving weapons to the attackers. One suspect confessed to moving weapons from Makhachkala to Mytishchi. Six more suspects were charged in their absence for helping to recruit and train the attackers.

Four citizens of Tajikistan have been accused of carrying out the attack. One had family ties to a group that operated in Syria. Another had previously worked in factories and communicated through an interpreter. A third had worked in different jobs and was contacted online with an offer to commit violent acts. The fourth was young, having worked in a barber shop before the attack. Several others were also arrested for helping to support or finance the attackers, though some denied involvement.

Responsibility for the attack

A group called the Islamic State said they were behind the attack. They shared pictures and a short video showing parts of what happened. Some leaders in other countries think the group acted on their own. The leader of Russia later talked about who might have been involved.

Aftermath

After the attack, people left flowers and candles outside the Crocus City Hall to honor those who were hurt. In Moscow, big screens showed sad messages, and cleaning began to remove broken pieces from the building. Three big shopping places owned by the same company as the hall were closed for a long time.

President Putin spoke to the country and said that March 24 would be a day of sadness to remember the people who were hurt. He said the people who did this attack were caught and were trying to go to another country. Many events in Moscow and other cities like Saint Petersburg were cancelled, and extra guards were put in places like airports and train stations. People in Moscow gave blood to help those who were hurt. Some banks promised to help families who lost someone or were hurt in the attack.

A young person, Islam Khalilov, who helped save many people that night, was given an award and money for his bravery. A football game that was supposed to happen was also cancelled because of the attack.

In the weeks after, diplomats from many countries visited the place of the attack to leave flowers. Later, it was announced that the Crocus City Hall would not hold concerts anymore when it is fixed up.

Unfortunately, after the attack, some people in Russia started treating immigrants unfairly, especially those from Central Asian countries. There were reports of people being treated badly just because of where they came from. Some places stopped letting immigrants work in certain jobs. Leaders in Russia talked about changing rules to make it harder for people to move into the country.

Responses

Russian allegations of Ukrainian and Western involvement

See also: Disinformation in the Russian invasion of Ukraine § Involvement in the Crocus City Hall attack

After the attack, Russian leaders suggested that Ukraine was involved, but they did not show any proof. The Russian president said the attackers tried to go into Ukraine and that Ukraine had helped them. Russia and Ukraine have been fighting since 2014, and Russia has been invading Ukraine since 2022. A top Russian official claimed that Ukraine helped plan the attack. Another official said that radical groups prepared the attack with help from Ukraine and Western countries. A Russian spokesperson accused the United States of using a group to hide Ukraine’s involvement. After arresting someone they thought helped plan the attack, Russian investigators said they found data showing the attackers got money and digital currency from Ukraine. Later, they said they found images of Ukrainian flags and a stamp from Ukraine on a phone from one of the suspects. Some Russian media were told to point out possible links to Ukraine. A Russian TV station played a fake recording to suggest Ukraine was involved. However, an ally of the Russian president said the attackers first tried to go into Belarus, not Ukraine.

Ukraine denied any part in the attack and called Russia’s claims doubtful and misleading. They said the border between Russia and Ukraine is heavily guarded and often attacked from both sides. Ukraine’s foreign ministry called the accusations a plan by Russia to make people more against Ukraine, to get more soldiers for the war, and to make Ukraine look bad worldwide. They even suggested that Russia itself planned the attack to make it look like others did it. Ukraine’s defence intelligence also said the attack was a deliberate plan by Russian intelligence at the order of the Russian president.

A Ukrainian leader said the Russian president stayed quiet for a day after the attack, thinking about how to blame Ukraine. Later, he called the claims sick and unfair. The United States said there was no proof Ukraine was involved, and a British leader called the Russian claims a way to defend Russia’s war on Ukraine. Two Ukrainian groups also said they had nothing to do with the attack. The Russian president, who earlier said the attack was done by radical groups helped by the U.S. and Ukraine, later said it was not an act of terrorism by those groups.

In April 2025, a Russian investigation found no proof that Ukraine was involved in the attack, going against what Russian leaders had said before.

Domestic

The Russian president wished a quick recovery for those hurt in the attack and praised the doctors who were helping them. Russia’s prime minister said the attackers would be punished and deserved no mercy. A leader of the Russian Orthodox Church said he was praying for peace for those who died.

Russia’s foreign ministry called on the world to condemn the attack, calling it a terrible crime.

A leader from Chechnya and the wife of a Russian opposition figure also condemned the attack. However, some critics said Russian security services were not doing their job to stop such attacks. Some Russian politicians called for bringing back the death penalty.

In late March 2024, more than half of Russians thought Ukraine was responsible for the attack, while 27% blamed a group called Islamic State and 6% blamed Western countries. Islamic State was blamed most often by younger people who oppose the war in Ukraine.

International

The United States embassy in Moscow offered its sympathy to the Russian people but warned American citizens to stay away from the area. The British and Spanish embassies also offered their sympathy and flew flags at half mast.

In Afghanistan, where a group had been attacked by the same group just a day before, the government called the attack a violation of human standards and asked countries to work together to stop such incidents. Many countries, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan, laid flowers at Russian embassies to remember the victims. The United Nations, the European Union, NATO, and Pope Francis also offered their sympathy. Diplomats from many countries attended a ceremony to lay flowers at a memorial near the attack site.

French terror alert level

On 24 March, France raised its security level to the highest because of the attack. After a conversation between the French and Russian defence ministers in April, in which the Russian minister suggested France was working with Ukraine, the French president called the claims silly and threatening.

Crackdown on IS in Turkey

Further information: Terrorism in Turkey

After the attack, Turkey detained over 180 people thought to have links to the group. This included 147 people detained on 26 March in searches across 30 areas. Since June 2023, Turkey has carried out over 1,300 operations against this group, detaining nearly 3,000 suspects and charging over 700 with crimes.

Reciprocal visa requirements

On 8 April, Turkey ended a visa agreement with Tajikistan because of security worries, so now Tajik citizens need a visa to visit Turkey. This rule started on 20 April. In response, on 16 April, Tajikistan began requiring visas for Turkish citizens visiting, saying it was because Turkey changed its rules for Tajik citizens. Tajikistan also advised its citizens in Turkey to be careful and to find other ways to travel if they were using Turkey as a stop.

Monument

On March 22, 2025, a special day to remember those who were hurt during the attack, a memorial was put up near the building. This memorial was made to honor the people who were affected. The design of the memorial was created by Araz Agalarov, who owns the Crocus Group.