Russian investigators reconstruct Crocus Theater terror attack

“Up to 160 forensic and genetic examinations have been carried out to establish the identities of the dead and the causes of their deaths. A total of 131 people were injured in the terrorist attack and more than 500 witnesses have been questioned,” Bastrykin said at a meeting chaired by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

According to Bastrykin, evidence provided by witnesses indicated that the fire in the auditorium was caused by attackers pouring gasoline on seats and walls and setting them on fire.

Mr Bastrykin also added that the Russian Investigative Committee had reconstructed the time frame of the terrorist attack on the Crocus City Hall Theater in Moscow. “Investigators have established a complete timeline of the attack,” he said.

According to investigators, four criminals arrived at the Crocus City Hall building in a Renault car at 7:54 p.m. Moscow time (4:54 GMT). At 7:58 p.m. Moscow time, the terrorists opened fire with automatic weapons on people outside the building. They then entered the Crocus Theater, shooting at people nearby, regardless of gender or age.

“Using gasoline in plastic bottles, they set fire to the building and left at 8:11 p.m. Moscow time. The results of the first investigation show that the terrorist attack was carefully planned,” Bastrykin said.

The attack lasted 17 minutes.

"When leaving the parking lot, the criminal group's car was moving at high speed and hit many pedestrians - a family with two small children. The children were seriously injured and were taken to hospital," he said.

On the evening of March 22, a terrorist attack targeted the Crocus City Hall music venue in Krasnogorsk, Moscow Region, just outside Moscow. According to the Russian Investigative Committee, the current death toll is 139, but it is expected to rise. The Moscow Region Health Department said that 182 people were injured.

Eleven suspects in connection with the terrorist attack were arrested, including four gunmen detained in the Bryansk Region, southwest of Moscow, as they tried to cross the nearby Ukrainian border to seek refuge.

President Vladimir Putin said in a televised speech that, according to preliminary information, the Ukrainian side had prepared a “window” at the border, specifically for terrorists to cross the border undetected. Mr. Putin promised to identify and punish all those behind the attack on the Crocus Theater.