Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Photo: GLOBAL LOOK PRESS
On the afternoon of March 25, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a video conference meeting with the heads of government, regions, special services and law enforcement agencies on the measures taken following the terrorist attack on Crocus City Hall. We publish the full text of the head of state’s speech:
“First of all, I want to once again express my deepest condolences to the families and friends of those who died as a result of the bloody and barbaric terrorist attack on March 22 and wish a speedy recovery to the injured.
I thank everyone who saved people in difficult conditions and helped the victims. During this difficult time, our society has set an example of true solidarity, cohesion and mutual support.
I know that among those who now send words of condolence to the families of the victims there are people of different nationalities, from all regions of our country, of all ages, including children, schoolchildren and students. Those who planned this terrorist attack hoped to sow panic and discord in our society, but they were met with unity and determination to resist this evil.
I ask you to report today on how investigative actions and operational search work will identify all those involved in the terrorist attack, their clients and its organizers.
Despite our universal pain and sadness, our compassion and our legitimate desire to punish all perpetrators of this brutal crime, the investigation must be carried out in the most professional, objective manner and without any political bias.
We know that the crime was committed by radical Islamists, whose ideology the Islamic world itself has been fighting for centuries. But we also see that the United States, through various channels, is trying to convince its satellites and other countries of the world that, according to its intelligence data, there is supposedly no trace of Kiev in the terrorist attack in Moscow, that the bloody terrorist attack was carried out by followers of Islam, members of the ISIS organization banned in Russia*.
We know by whose hands this atrocity was committed against Russia and its people. We are interested in who the client is. Within the framework of joint work between our intelligence services and law enforcement agencies, it is necessary to obtain answers to a number of questions.
For example: are radical Islamic and even terrorist organizations really interested in attacking Russia, which today represents a just solution to the growing conflict in the Middle East? And how do radical Islamists, who position themselves, by the way, as devout Muslims, professing the so-called pure Islam, commit serious atrocities and crimes during the holy month of Ramadan for all Muslims?
These, as well as other more specific professional questions for an objective investigation of the crime committed in Moscow, remain to be answered. One thing is absolutely clear: the terrible crime committed on March 22 in the Russian capital is an act of intimidation, as I have already said.
And the question immediately arises: who benefits from this? This atrocity may be just one link in a whole series of attempts by those who have been fighting against our country since 2014 at the hands of the neo-Nazi regime in kyiv. And the Nazis, as is well known, never disdained using the dirtiest and most inhumane means to achieve their goals.
Especially today, when their announced counteroffensive has completely failed. This is already recognized by everyone and no one disputes it. The Russian Armed Forces have the initiative along the entire line of combat contact, and all measures taken in the opposite direction to stabilize the front are unsuccessful.
Hence the attempts to enter and gain a foothold in our border territories, the bombings, including the use of multiple launch rocket systems, of peaceful neighborhoods, civil infrastructure, including energy infrastructure, the attempted missile attacks against the Bridge of Crimea and the peninsula itself.
Bloody acts of intimidation, such as the terrorist attack in Moscow, fit logically into this series. The goal, as I already said, is to sow panic in our society and at the same time show our own population that all is not lost for the kyiv regime.
It is enough to follow the orders of their Western curators, fight to the last Ukrainian, obey Washington’s orders and adopt a new mobilization law, create something like the Hitler Youth, in its new edition, of course. To eliminate this new weapon, additional money is needed, a significant part of which can be stolen and kept, as is customary today in Ukraine, in one’s pocket.
By the way, Ukrainian nationalists had such an association back in the 20s of the last century – the Union of Young Ukrainian Nationalists, which later became part of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists.
Of course, we must also answer the question: why did the terrorists try to go to Ukraine after committing the crime? Who was waiting for them there? It is clear that those who support the kyiv regime do not want to be complicit in terrorism or sponsors of terrorism. But there really are many questions.
Please report periodically on the progress of the investigation.”
*Terrorist organization banned in Russia
