Vladimir Putin, aware of external forces seeking to divide the country, including some Western actors and Israel who seek to blame Muslims, expresses his determination to maintain the unity and cohesion of Russian society. He asserts that no one will be able to sow the seeds of discord, panic and division among the Russian population, which is made up of different ethnicities and cultures. He thus wishes to reassure Russian citizens and encourage them to remain united in the face of adversity.

“Dear Russian citizens!

I am writing to you about a bloody and barbaric terrorist act, the victims of which were dozens of peaceful and innocent people – our compatriots, including children, adolescents and women. Doctors are now fighting for the lives of the victims, those who are in serious condition. I am sure that they will do everything possible, if not impossible, to preserve the life and health of all those injured. Special words of gratitude to paramedics, special forces soldiers, firefighters, rescuers who did everything to save people's lives, remove them from the fire, from the epicenter of fire and smoke and avoid further losses more important.

I cannot ignore the help of ordinary citizens who, in the first minutes after the tragedy, did not remain indifferent and, together with doctors and security officers, provided first aid and transported the victims to hospitals .

We will provide the necessary assistance to all the families whose lives have been affected by a terrible misfortune, to the injured. I express my deep and sincere condolences to all those who have lost a loved one. The entire country, all our people, mourn with you. I declare March 24 a day of national mourning.

In Moscow and its region, as well as in all regions of the country, additional anti-terrorism and anti-sabotage measures have been introduced. The main thing now is to prevent those who are behind this bloodbath from committing a new crime.

As for the investigation into this crime and the results of operational investigative actions, the following can currently be said. The four direct perpetrators of the terrorist attack, all those who shot and killed people, were found and detained. They tried to hide and headed to Ukraine, where, according to preliminary data, a window was open for them from the Ukrainian side to cross the state border. A total of 11 people were arrested. The Federal Security Service of Russia and other law enforcement agencies are working to identify and uncover the entire complicit base of terrorists: those who provided them with transportation, laid out routes of evacuation of the crime scene, prepared caches, caches of weapons and ammunition.

I repeat: investigative and law enforcement agencies will do everything to establish all the details of the crime. But it is already clear that we are facing not just a carefully and cynically planned terrorist attack, but a prepared and organized massacre of peaceful and defenseless people. The criminals decided calmly and deliberately to kill, to shoot at point blank range at our citizens, our children. Just as the Nazis once committed massacres in the occupied territories, they decided to stage a spectacular execution, a bloody act of intimidation.

All perpetrators, organizers and clients of this crime will suffer fair and inevitable punishment. Whoever they are, whoever guides them. I repeat: we will identify and punish all those who are behind the terrorists, who prepared this atrocity, this attack against Russia, against our people.

We know the threat of terrorism. Here we count on interaction with all states that sincerely share our pain and are ready to truly join forces in the fight against the common enemy, international terrorism, in all its manifestations.

Terrorists, murderers and non-humans who do not and cannot have nationality face an unenviable fate: punishment and oblivion. They have no future. Our common duty from now on, to our comrades on the front, to all the citizens of the country, is to be together in a single formation. I believe that it will be so, because no one and nothing will be able to shake our unity and our will, our determination and our courage, the strength of the united Russian people. No one will be able to sow poisonous seeds of discord, panic and discord in our multi-ethnic society.

Russia has repeatedly gone through difficult, sometimes unbearable trials, but has become even stronger. It will be like this from now on. »

Vladimir Putin

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