Attack on Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk

Krasnogorsk, Moscow region · 22 Mar 2024

On 22 March 2024 armed men opened fire in the Crocus City Hall concert hall in Krasnogorsk and set it on fire. According to the Prosecutor General's Office on the day of the verdict, 147 people died, three are missing and 336 suffered bodily injuries; the Investigative Committee gave 149 dead.

Official figures

Dead: 147 (as of 12 Mar 2026) archive copy
Injured: 336 (as of 12 Mar 2026) archive copy
Missing: 3 (as of 12 Mar 2026) archive copy

First version and outcome

First three days: 22 Mar 2024 to 25 Mar 2024

22 Mar 2024, 20:58 Moscow time · Cause · Emergency services (as reported by Interfax): “The attackers at the entrance to the building, during the concert, apparently opened fire with automatic weapons; then a fire broke out in the building” archive copy
22 Mar 2024, 21:25 Moscow time · Cause · FSB public relations centre: “According to preliminary information, shooting began in the Crocus City Hall complex before a concert by a Russian band. A fire broke out” archive copy
22 Mar 2024, 21:42 Moscow time · Cause · Prosecutor General's Office of Russia: “unknown men in camouflage clothing burst into the building and opened fire” archive copy
22 Mar 2024, 22:06 Moscow time · Cause · Investigative Committee, Main Investigations Directorate: “Over the incident at the Crocus City Hall concert hall, the Main Investigations Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia has opened a criminal case under article 205 of the Criminal Code (terrorist act).” archive copy
22 Mar 2024, 22:14 Moscow time · Toll · Federal Security Service (FSB): “According to preliminary information, 40 people died in the terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall entertainment complex, the FSB said.” archive copy
23 Mar 2024, 01:35 Moscow time · Toll · Mikhail Murashko, Minister of Health: “As of today, in the terrorist attack, we have hospitalised 115 people, five of them children. One child is in a serious condition” archive copy
23 Mar 2024, 01:42 Moscow time · Responsibility · Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council: “According to Medvedev, if it is established that these are terrorists of the Kyiv regime, there is no other way to deal with them and those who inspired them. "They must all be found and destroyed without mercy as terrorists. Including officials of the state that committed such an atrocity"” archive copy
23 Mar 2024, 03:25 Moscow time · Toll · Investigative Committee of Russia: “It has been preliminarily established that more than 60 people died in the terrorist attack. Unfortunately, the number of victims may rise.” archive copy
23 Mar 2024, 11:28 Moscow time · Toll · Investigative Committee of Russia: “It has now been established that the number of dead is 93. The number of dead will rise further” archive copy
23 Mar 2024, 12:07 Moscow time · Responsibility · FSB public relations centre: “After committing the terrorist attack, the criminals intended to cross the Russian-Ukrainian border and had the relevant contact on the Ukrainian side” archive copy
23 Mar 2024, 12:55 Moscow time · Cause · Investigative Committee of Russia: “It has also been established that the terrorists used a flammable liquid to set fire to the rooms of the concert hall where the audience, including the wounded, were.” archive copy
23 Mar 2024, 15:30 Moscow time · Responsibility · Vladimir Putin, President of Russia: “They tried to escape and were moving towards Ukraine, where, according to preliminary data, a window had been prepared for them from the Ukrainian side to cross the state border.” archive copy
23 Mar 2024, 16:29 Moscow time · Toll · Investigative Committee of Russia: “As the rubble at the Crocus City Hall concert hall is cleared, the number of dead in the terrorist attack has risen to 133. The search continues” archive copy
23 Mar 2024, 19:32 Moscow time · Responsibility · Prosecutor General's Office; Moscow region prosecutor's office: “reports that the building had not been put into use and was missing from Rosreestr's cadastral map do not correspond to reality” archive copy
23 Mar 2024, 20:23 Moscow time · Responsibility · Prosecutor General's Office of Russia: “It has been established that all the necessary inspections were carried out in full” archive copy
24 Mar 2024, 13:55 Moscow time · Responsibility · Alexander Bastrykin, Chairman of the Investigative Committee: “During the meeting the Chairman of the Investigative Committee also ordered a check of the fire safety of the building, and of whether the emergency exit doors were open.” archive copy
24 Mar 2024, 16:55 Moscow time · Toll · Investigative Committee of Russia: “The identification of the bodies of the dead continues. So far the bodies of 137 people have been found at the scene of the attack, three of them children.” archive copy
25 Mar 2024, 15:20 Moscow time · Responsibility · Alexander Khinshtein, State Duma deputy: “By law, private security organisations today are not required to post armed guards at places where crowds gather” archive copy
25 Mar 2024, 21:35 Moscow time · Responsibility · Vladimir Putin, President of Russia: “We know that the crime was committed by the hands of radical Islamists, whose ideology the Islamic world itself has been fighting for centuries.” archive copy
25 Mar 2024, 21:35 Moscow time · Toll · Alexander Bastrykin, Chairman of the Investigative Committee: “139 people died in the attack. 75 of them have been identified today. Three children are among the dead.” archive copy
25 Mar 2024, 21:35 Moscow time · Responsibility · Igor Krasnov, Prosecutor General of Russia: “The building's security passport was approved on 17 December 2018 and has not been updated since, and unfortunately it does not take account of the existing terrorist threats.” archive copy
25 Mar 2024, 21:35 Moscow time · Cause · Alexander Kurenkov, Minister of Emergencies: “The building was equipped with an automatic fire alarm system. At the time of the fire, this system worked as designed.” archive copy

Later: investigation, courts, official findings

26 Mar 2024, 13:36 Moscow time · Responsibility · Dmitry Peskov, the President's press secretary: “while the investigation is under way, the official authorities cannot allow themselves to make any statements on this” archive copy
26 Mar 2024, 13:45 Moscow time · Responsibility · Nikolai Patrushev, Secretary of the Security Council: “"Of course, Ukraine," he told journalists, answering the question whether ISIS (a terrorist organisation banned in Russia) or Ukraine was behind this attack.” archive copy
26 Mar 2024, 14:35 Moscow time · Responsibility · Igor Krasnov, Prosecutor General of Russia: “The terrorist attack at Crocus City is a new challenge for the whole law enforcement system, above all in terms of the protection of places where crowds gather.” archive copy
26 Mar 2024, 15:13 Moscow time · Responsibility · Alexander Bortnikov, Director of the FSB: “We believe the action was prepared both by the radical Islamists themselves and, naturally, with help from Western intelligence services, and Ukraine's intelligence services themselves are directly involved in it” archive copy
27 Mar 2024, 17:29 Moscow time · Toll · Investigative Committee of Russia: “The Investigative Committee has received 143 statements from victims about relatives or friends missing as a result of the terrorist act. Of these, 84 bodies of the dead have so far been identified, including the bodies of five children aged 9 to 16.” archive copy
27 Mar 2024, 22:11 Moscow time · Responsibility · Dmitry Peskov, the President's press secretary: “If we still cannot state any single version because the investigation is continuing, it is strange, to say the least, that the Americans take it upon themselves to declare one single version” archive copy
28 Mar 2024, 17:45 Moscow time · Responsibility · Investigative Committee of Russia: “Work with the detained terrorists, examination of the technical devices seized from them and analysis of financial transactions have produced evidence of their links with Ukrainian nationalists.” archive copy
29 Mar 2024, 13:55 Moscow time · Toll · Mikhail Murashko, Minister of Health: “Another person injured in the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall, who had severe gunshot wounds and was in an extremely serious condition, died in hospital, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko told journalists on Friday.” archive copy
29 Mar 2024, 18:53 Moscow time · Responsibility · Investigative Committee of Russia: “On the coordinator's instructions, after the crime the terrorists drove towards the Russian-Ukrainian border in order to cross it and reach Kyiv to receive the reward promised to them.” archive copy
30 Mar 2024, 12:53 Moscow time · Toll · Emergencies Ministry, Moscow region directorate: “As of 06:00 on 30.03.2024, 695 people (including 15 children) were affected by the terrorist attack, 144 of whom died (including 5 children)” archive copy
2 Apr 2024, 15:00 Moscow time · Responsibility · Vladimir Putin, President of Russia: “But I will add that the actions of all the law enforcement, control and supervisory services and commercial organisations responsible for this large building, where the terrorist attack took place, are now being assessed as a whole.” archive copy
4 Apr 2024, 14:25 Moscow time · Responsibility · Vladimir Putin, President of Russia: “No other aims can be seen, and there are none, because Russia cannot be a target of terrorist attacks by Islamic fundamentalists.” archive copy
5 Apr 2024, 08:00 Moscow time · Responsibility · Investigative Committee of Russia: “A set of investigative actions and operational measures continues to check whether representatives of Ukrainian intelligence services and international Islamist terrorist organisations were involved in organising and financing the terrorist attack.” archive copy
24 Apr 2024, 11:32 Moscow time · Responsibility · Igor Krasnov, Prosecutor General of Russia: “A full assessment has yet to be made, but it can already be said that the scale of the terrorist attack showed the need to revise the legal rules on security at such buildings” archive copy
30 Apr 2024, 13:36 Moscow time · Toll · Andrei Vorobyov, Governor of the Moscow region: “40 days ago the tragedy at Crocus took 145 lives. Another 551 people were injured. A huge number of people did not stand aside. Together we collected more than 1.6 billion roubles in the Russian Red Cross fund to help the families of the dead and the injured.” archive copy
24 May 2024, 08:15 Moscow time · Responsibility · Alexander Bortnikov, Director of the FSB: “the preparations, financing, attack and escape of the terrorists were coordinated over the internet by members of the "Vilayat Khorasan" group (the Afghan branch of the terrorist organisation ISIS, banned in Russia), who were in the Afghan-Pakistani zone” archive copy
24 May 2024, 08:15 Moscow time · Responsibility · Alexander Bortnikov, Director of the FSB: “The investigation continues, but it can already be said with confidence that Ukraine's military intelligence is directly involved in this attack” archive copy
31 May 2024, 12:19 Moscow time · Responsibility · Basmanny District Court of Moscow (court documents); Investigative Committee: “A criminal case opened on 25 March 2024 under article 238(3) of the Criminal Code (providing services that do not meet safety requirements, causing the death of two or more people by negligence) has been joined to this criminal case” archive copy
22 Mar 2025, 09:00 Moscow time · Responsibility · Investigative Committee of Russia: “On the basis of the evidence gathered, the investigation concluded that the terrorist act was planned and organised by the special services of an unfriendly state to destabilise the situation in Russia. Members of an international terrorist organisation were recruited to carry it out.” archive copy
23 Jun 2025, 17:10 Moscow time · Toll · Investigative Committee of Russia: “149 people died in the terrorist act, one is missing, and 609 people suffered wounds and injuries of varying severity. The total damage from the attack came to about 6 billion roubles.” archive copy
23 Jun 2025, 17:10 Moscow time · Responsibility · Investigative Committee of Russia: “The investigation has established that this inhuman crime was planned and committed in the interests of Ukraine's current leadership in order to destabilise the political situation in our country.” archive copy
1 Jul 2025, 14:39 Moscow time · Toll · Prosecutor General's Office of Russia: “As a result of these actions, 147 people died and 336 suffered bodily injuries. The damage caused came to 5.7 billion roubles. In addition, three people are missing.” archive copy
12 Mar 2026, 11:31 Moscow time · Toll · 2nd Western District Military Court: “As a result, 147 people died, three people are missing, 336 suffered bodily injuries, and at least 1,971 people were put in danger of death. The damage caused came to 5.7 billion roubles.” archive copy
12 Mar 2026 · Responsibility · 2nd Western District Military Court (as worded by the Prosecutor General's Office): “The court established that two wanted citizens of Tajikistan and unidentified persons, acting in the interests of Ukraine's top political leadership, organised in the Russian Federation the activities of three cells of the "Vilayat Khorasan" group, which is part of the international terrorist organisation "Islamic State".” archive copy

Timeline: key decisions

24 Mar 2024 · Vladimir Putin, President of Russia (who declared the day of mourning in his address of 23 March): Russia observed a national day of mourning. archive copy
24 Mar 2024 · Vladimir Putin, President of Russia: Putin paid his respects to the dead (at Novo-Ogaryovo). archive copy
21 May 2024 · Alexander Bastrykin, Chairman of the Investigative Committee: Bastrykin presented the Investigative Committee's medal "Valour and Courage" to five visitors and staff who had rescued people. archive copy
8 Jul 2024 · Vladimir Putin, President of Russia (decree on the award): Putin posthumously awarded the Order of Courage to a concert-goer killed while trying to stop one of the attackers. archive copy
20 Nov 2024 · State Duma (as reported by RIA Novosti): The State Duma passed the law "On private security activity". According to RIA Novosti, security firms guarding places where crowds gather will have to do so with firearms; the laws take effect on 1 September 2026. archive copy
24 Dec 2024 · Sergei Sobyanin, Mayor of Moscow: Sobyanin presented the medal "For saving the perishing" to two Moscow schoolboys who had rescued people in the hall. archive copy
22 Mar 2025 · Andrei Vorobyov, Governor of the Moscow region: A memorial — two steles with cranes — was unveiled by the concert hall; Vorobyov spoke at the opening. archive copy
12 Mar 2026 · 2nd Western District Military Court: The court convicted all 19 defendants: 15 to life imprisonment, one to 22 years 6 months, three to 19 years 11 months, with fines of 500,000 to 2.7 million roubles; per the verdict 147 people died, three are missing and 336 suffered bodily injuries. archive copy
12 Mar 2026 · 2nd Western District Military Court (as worded by the Prosecutor General's Office): According to the Prosecutor General's Office, the court found that two wanted citizens of Tajikistan and unidentified persons, "acting in the interests of Ukraine's top political leadership", organised three cells of the "Vilayat Khorasan" group, part of "Islamic State", in Russia. archive copy

Money

23 Mar 2024 · ₽3,000,000 to the family for each person killed · Sobyanin announced payments: 3 million roubles to the families of the dead and 500,000 to 1 million to the injured, including non-residents and foreigners; Moscow added monthly payments for children who lost a parent.
25 Mar 2024 · ₽3,000,000 to the family for each Moscow region resident killed · Vorobyov told the President of the Moscow region's payments: 3 million roubles to the family of each resident killed, 1 million to those in hospital, 500,000 to the injured; the first payments were made on 23 March.
9 Apr 2024 · ₽6m · The Social Fund had granted 69 survivor pensions and paid 6 million roubles of insurance for three deaths at work.

Promises after the emergency

Punish all who carried out, organised or ordered the Crocus attack · Cannot be checked
Help for every bereaved family and everyone hurt at Crocus · Delivering
3 million roubles per death, 1 million or 500,000 per injured: Moscow region · Delivering
Update the security passports of crowded places "soon" · Cannot be checked

Full timeline: 78 entries, 22 Mar 2024 to 6 Apr 2026