Media: Crocus City Hall attackers initially targeted different location

The terrorists involved in the attack on Crocus City Hall, along with their foreign coordinator, originally considered one of the towers in the Moscow-City business centre as their target, a participant in the trial told TASS.

However, the perpetrators deemed the building unsuitable for an attack and chose the concert hall in Krasnogorsk instead. 

“They were instructed to carry out a terrorist act. Initially, they were given the Moscow-City building address for assessment, but they found it unsuitable. Later, Saifullo (the coordinator, currently wanted) designated Crocus Hall in Krasnogorsk as the target,” the source said.

Investigators said the organisers had planned a second attack in Moscow but later abandoned it, focusing instead on Crocus with a reinforced group of militants. Coordinator Saifullo prepared and recruited operatives for both attacks. Three individuals—Shamsidin Fariduni, Dalerdzhon Mirzoyev, and Saidakrami Rachabolizoda—were assigned to Crocus, while another militant, Muhammadsobir Fayzov, was to be involved in the second attack.

The location and method of the second planned attack remain unspecified, but case materials indicate it was also intended to target large numbers of people. A week before the Crocus assault, the coordinator informed the operatives of the expanded group of the operation.

The attack occurred on the evening of March 22, 2024, just before a Piknik concert, when armed assailants stormed Crocus City Hall, opened fire on attendees, set off explosions, and started a fire.

Authorities report 149 people killed, one missing, and 609 injured, with total damages estimated at 6 billion rubles (around $66.7 million).

By Jeyhun Aghazada