In a dramatic twist to one of the deadliest terror attacks on Russian soil in recent years, investigators in Moscow now claim that Ukraine orchestrated the March 2024 assault on the Crocus City Hall in the capital’s outskirts.
The brutal attack, which saw four heavily armed gunmen storm the concert venue on March 22, left 150 people dead and over 600 injured. The assailants opened indiscriminate fire on civilians and reportedly set part of the structure ablaze before attempting to flee.
Russian security forces captured all four suspects, identified as Dalerdhzon Mirzoyev, Saidokrami Rachabalizoda, Shamsiddin Fariduni, and Muhammadsobir Faizov, near the Ukrainian border shortly after the assault. All four are said to be Tajik nationals and alleged affiliates of the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), which had earlier claimed responsibility for the carnage.
However, fresh interrogation transcripts now suggest a more complex operational web behind the assault.
According to Russian investigative authorities, the suspects confessed that “a Ukrainian state entity” had commissioned the attack. While ISIS-K was described as the organiser, the investigators alleged that the weapons used in the massacre were routed into Russia from Ukrainian territory.
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Further details from the probe indicated that Saidokrami Rachabalizoda, believed to be the group’s lead operative, told investigators they were instructed by a handler named Saifullo to flee to Kyiv following the attack, where each was promised a payment of approximately $13,000.
Kyiv has persistently denied any involvement in the Crocus City assault and dismissed the latest Russian allegations as “fabricated propaganda” aimed at maligning Ukraine amid the ongoing war.
Despite the denial, Ukrainian sabotage operations on Russian soil have been documented over the past two years. High-profile assassinations and alleged railway derailments have been attributed to Ukrainian operatives, feeding a bitter and escalating shadow war.
On Sunday, tensions further intensified when Russia launched a large-scale drone and missile barrage on Ukraine, claiming to have downed a US-manufactured F-16 fighter jet deployed by Kyiv during the counteroffensive.
The Crocus City massacre remains a symbol of Russia’s heightened vulnerability, even as geopolitical blame continues to shift and blur. The latest revelations, if substantiated, could deepen an already volatile conflict between Moscow and Kyiv.
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