April 8, 2026

Terrorists who attacked Crocus initially planned an attack on Moscow City - TASS

The initial target of the terrorists who attacked "Crocus City Hall" was one of the towers of the "Moscow City" business center, one of the participants in the court hearing told TASS. "They [the perpetrators] were instructed to commit a terrorist act. Initially, they were sent the address of a Moscow City building for assessment, but they considered it unsuitable," the agency's source said. Then, the terrorists' curator, operating outside of Russia under the pseudonym Saifullo, indicated the concert hall in Krasnogorsk as the target, the participant in the process added. Saifullo is on the wanted list. The day before, TASS, citing a participant in the court hearing, reported that the terrorists planned to carry out two attacks in Moscow, but then abandoned this idea and decided to attack "Crocus City Hall" with an reinforced group. The second attack was supposed to happen simultaneously with the attack on "Crocus." Two people were supposed to participate in it, and three in "Crocus." Where they wanted to carry out the second terrorist attack is unknown. According to the case materials, during it, it was also planned to "kill many people." On Monday, April 6, two convicts in the "Crocus" terrorist attack case decided to commit suicide. One of them, Yakubdzholdjon Davlatkhon Yusufzoda, who was in the "Matrosskaya Tishina" pre-trial detention center, died. The second, Dzhabrail Aushev, attempted suicide in the transit prison "Krasnaya Presnya," but he was saved. According to RBC and "Kommersant," this suicide attempt was not the first for the convict. In March, the 2nd Western District Military Court, at an on-site hearing in Moscow, announced the sentence in the "Crocus City Hall" terrorist attack case. Four perpetrators - Shamsidin Fariduni, Dalerdzhon Mirzoyev, Mukhammadsobir Fayzov, and Saidakram Rachabalizoda - received life sentences. Another 11 people, whom the court found to be accomplices of the terrorists, also received life sentences: Umedzhon and Mustakim Soliyevs, Shakhromdzhon Gadoev, Zaybudullo Ismoilov, Khusein Khamidov, Muhammad Zoir Sharipzoda, Yakubdzholdjon Yusufzoda, Nazrimad Lutfulloi, Dzhumakhon Kurbanov, Khusen Medov, and Dzhabrail Aushev. They were accused of transferring weapons and ammunition to the perpetrators of the terrorist attack, converting deactivated weapons into live ammunition, providing money, and preparing a similar terrorist attack in Kaspiysk, Dagestan. The court also found four more people guilty. Alisher Kasimov, who rented an apartment to the perpetrators of the attack on the concert hall, received 22.5 years. Dilovar Islomov, who sold his Renault Symbol car to the terrorists, his father Isroil, and his brother Aminchon each received 19 years and 11 months.