President Lukashenko: Belarus, Russia constantly cooperate after terrorist attack

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has commented on the alleged “long silence” of Russian President Vladimir Putin after the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall.

“Putin and me didn’t sleep for a day by constantly cooperating,” Lukashenko said, Gazeta.Ru reports citing the message on the Belarus president’s website.

“Why did I say this? Some people began to reproach Putin,” he noted.

“Something happened, but he [Putin] is silent, he does not speak, he does not address the nation, and so on. Putin and me did not sleep for a day! What do those people know about it? We constantly cooperated,” President Lukashenko said.

The president emphasised that throughout the entire period after the terrorist attack, the Belarusian and Russian sides cooperated smoothly.

He also said that such topics as defence and security are the most important ones at the upcoming meeting of the All-Belarusian People's Assembly.

Unidentified gunmen went on a shooting spree at the Crocus City Hall music venue in the town of Krasnogorsk in the Moscow Region before a concert by the rock band Picnic. Later an explosion rocked the building, starting a fire.

The number of terrorist attack victims has increased to 144 people. Some 97 more people are still in hospitals.