Russia blames Ukraine for deadly ISIS Moscow attack

Putin will "use the attack to deceive Russians and mobilize more young men to be cannon fodder" in Ukraine

(Image credit: Stringer / AFP via Getty Images)

What happened

Russia arrested 11 people over the weekend in connection with Friday night's terrorist attack at the popular Crocus City Hall theater outside Moscow. At least 137 concertgoers were killed when four gunmen opened fire then set the building on fire. The four alleged gunmen, all Tajik citizens, appeared in court Sunday evening showing signs of severe beating.

Who said what

The Islamic State claimed responsibility and released purported body-camera footage of the attack. But Russian President Vladimir Putin, who publicly dismissed U.S. warnings of a terrorist attack in Moscow last week, didn't mention ISIS on Saturday when he addressed the massacre. Instead, he suggested Ukraine had prepared a "window" for the gunmen to cross the wartime border. Kyiv unequivocally denied involvement. "ISIS bears sole responsibility for this attack," U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said.

The commentary

Russians will see this as "Putin's failure to deliver" on promised "peace and stability," former Putin speechwriter Abbas Gallyamov said to The Washington Post. The attack exposes how "overstretched" Putin is with his Ukraine war, Nick Paton Walsh said at CNN. When civilians were attacked in Moscow, "special forces did not race in; they are dead, or busy elsewhere."

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What next?

Putin will "use the attack to deceive Russians and mobilize more young men to be cannon fodder" in Ukraine, The Wall Street Journal said in an editorial. And "Ukraine will have to brace itself for missile attacks as part of this latest Putin misdirection."

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.