Russia holds day of mourning
On 24 March, a national day of mourning took place in Russia after a terrorist attack at a concert hall two days earlier. A terrorist attack is an act of violence designed to scare the public.
What happened?
On 22 March, a group of people entered Crocus City Hall and attacked people. Crocus City Hall is in an outer part of Moscow, Russia’s capital. At least 139 people died and more than 150 others were injured. On 23 March, the Russian authorities said they had arrested 11 people in connection with the attack. Four men accused of being directly involved in the attack were charged with committing an act of terrorism.
Why did it happen?
On the same day the attack took place, a terrorist group called Islamic State (IS) said it was responsible. Islamic State is an extremist and violent movement. Experts say IS is angry about military operations that Russia has carried out in recent years, such as attacking members of IS in Syria. The US said it had warned Russia two weeks before it happened that an attack was probably going to take place, and said it had evidence linking a section of IS to the attack. Russian officials said the information from the US was not detailed enough.
What was the response?
Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, declared 24 March a national day of mourning. Flags were lowered halfway down their poles and television programmes were suspended as a mark of respect. Some planned events were cancelled. Outside Crocus City Hall, people left flowers and lit candles as tributes. Similar memorials were also set up in other cities across Russia. In Moscow, people queued to donate blood to help those who were injured. Blood banks said so many people donated that they received enough blood for four to six months.
On 25 March, Putin said that a terrorist group was behind the attack. He also suggested that Ukraine may have been involved and claimed that those who carried out the attack tried to travel to Ukraine afterwards. Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and the two countries are at war. Ukraine has denied any involvement in the attacks. Its president, Volodymyr Zelensky, accused Putin of spending the day after the attacks working out how he could blame Ukraine. A US government official said, “ISIS (another name for IS) bears sole responsibility for this attack. There was no Ukrainian involvement whatsoever.”
What to do if you feel upset by the news
If you are ever worried by anything you have read, talk to a parent or a trusted adult and tell them how you are feeling. Remember, although the headlines can seem dramatic, events like these are very unusual – that’s why they are being reported in the news. Have a look at what else you can do if you feel upset at theweekjunior.co.uk/advice