Russia challenges U.S. claim linking ISIS-K to the Moscow Crocus Hall shooting that resulted in nearly 140 deaths and 182 injuries, one of the most devastating terror attacks on Russian soil in decades.
On Friday, four men, one of whom was a Tajik national, attacked the concert hall, opening fire on spectators during a performance by the Soviet-era rock band Picnic.
The Islamic State group claimed on Telegram that the attack was executed by “four of its terrorists armed with machine guns, a pistol, knives, and firebombs,” describing it as part of “the ongoing war” against “nations opposing Islam”.
Contrary to the popular claims of an ISIS-K role in the attack, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested a potential Ukrainian involvement in the massacre.
In February 2022, Putin ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, sparking a significant European conflict following eight years of tension in eastern Ukraine between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian Ukrainians alongside Russian proxies.
