UAE leaders send message of support to Russian president over deadly Moscow concert hall attack

Emirati President HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed has sent his condolences to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin – who secured another six years in office in the March 15-17 elections – and the victims of a massive terror attack on a Moscow concert hall.

HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, have also sent similar official messages of support to Putin.

On Saturday, the UAE also bathed some of its most iconic landmarks, such as the Burj Khalifa, Burj Al Arab, Adnoc headquarters and the Dubai Frame, in the colours of the Russian flag to express solidarity with the victims of the brutal Friday attack on the Crocus City Hall.

In a statement, the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed “strong condemnation of these criminal acts” and rejection of “all forms of violence and terrorism aimed at undermining security and stability in contravention of international law.”

Kyiv denies involvement in Moscow concert hall attack

Eleven individuals have been arrested after a group of gunmen stormed the concert hall on the outskirts of the Russian capital and opened fire on innocent civilians. The death toll in the incident has reached 133, including three children, and is expected to continue rising.

ISIS has claimed responsibility for the assault on its official Telegram channel, saying its fighters “attacked a large gathering”. Russia’s Investigative Committee said four people among those detained had direct connections to the attack.

They were stopped in Russia’s Bryansk region, “not far from the border with Ukraine”, it said. Putin noted: “They tried to hide and moved towards Ukraine, where [as per preliminary data] a window was prepared for them on the Ukrainian side to cross the state border.”

Ukraine has denied any involvement. Ukrainian military intelligence spokesperson Andriy Yusov said his country is “defending its sovereignty from Russian invaders, liberating its own territory and is fighting with the occupiers’ army and military targets, not civilians.”

US embassy in Moscow had issued warnings

Russian politician Alexander Khinshtein said a pistol, a magazine for an assault rifle and passports from Tajikistan were found in a Renault vehicle used by attackers to flee. Tajikistan is a mainly Muslim Central Asian state and used to be part of the Soviet Union.

In addition to the gunfire, a couple of explosions were heard at Crocus City Hall, where hundreds of fans had gathered for a concert by Russian rock band Picnic. Clips posted on Russian messaging apps showed huge plumes of black smoke rising over the venue.

Security measures at airports and railway stations are being increased. In addition, all large-scale sporting, cultural and other public events will be cancelled this weekend. Russian media reported that a helicopter helped tackle the fire at the concert building.

Earlier this month, the US embassy in Moscow urged Americans to avoid crowded places in the capital, including concerts, noting extremists’ “imminent” plans to attack large gatherings. But Putin later denounced the warnings as an attempt to intimidate Russians.