10 questions for which three days after the terrorist attack in Crocus there are no answers

How many terrorists were there? The detainees really wanted to escape to Ukraine? And why did they give them so far?

On the evening of March 24, the Basmanny Court of Moscow arrested (so far for two months) of the four alleged executors of the terrorist attack in Crocus City Hall. According to the investigation, they all participated in the attack on the concert hall, after which they reached the Bryansk region with the Tver Rooms on the white Renault Symbol, where they were detained early on the morning of March 23; They allegedly wanted to cross the border with Ukraine, where they were supposed to meet the “curators”. Such is the plot of the accusation-and even if you take out a “Ukrainian trace” as a bracket, there are still many white spots in this story. In this material, we tried to formulate the main questions that the authorities or journalists have no answers yet. An important reservation: when studying these issues, we do not consider conspiracy theories and rely only on documentary certificates that have fallen into open access or our colleagues from the media that we trust.

How many terrorists took place in the attack?

In all videos from Crocus City Hall (below for convenience we will call the concert hall just “crocus”) - four attackers. Their appearance in many details coincides with the appearance of those who were arrested immediately after the detention: these are Dalerjon Mirzoev, Saidraks of Rachabalizoda, Shamsiddin Fariduni and Muhammadsobir Fayzov. And it seems correct that there were no other accomplices at the time of the attack with them.

Nevertheless, the source of the Russian BBC Service, familiar with the course of the search for criminals, told the publication that at least two more terrorists were killed: one in the auditorium, the second-during the operation to capture suspects in the Bryansk region. A copy of the passport of a person killed in the Bryansk region is at the disposal of the BBC-this is a 30-year-old citizen of Tajikistan. The investigation about these two people did not report. We repeat, on all videos from the Crocus (and there are more than a dozen of them), only four attackers are visible.

There is also information about one terrorist, who was allegedly neutralized by the visitor to the concert: the man, according to eyewitnesses and his own , attacked the attacker at the time when he reloaded the machine, took his weapons from him and beat him with his butt. What happened to the criminal after that is unknown. In the video of the attack, which was distributed by the resources of the “Islamic state”, it is clear that one of the attackers, not armed with an automatic machine, may not be wounded - but we cannot affirm this with confidence.

In total, on suspicion of involvement in the attack, 11 people were allegedly detained - such information in the report by Putin was presented by the director of the FSB Alexander Bortnikov. On the evening of March 25, the names of three more arrested were known : these are Isroil Islomov and two of his sons - Dilovar and Aminchon. Dilovar was the last owner of the same Renault, which was used by the alleged terrorists. In a commentary to Novaya Gazeta Europe, he previously stated that he had sold the car “about a week ago” to his wife’s brother, and he, in turn, said that his friend needed his car.

It turns out that at least four unknown detainees have not yet been charged. As the Mediazone recalls , according to the Criminal Procedure Code of the Russian Federation , if within 48 hours the court did not decide to extend the period of detention or on the arrest, the suspect must be immediately released.

Is it possible to believe that those who shot in Crocus and arrested are the same people?

Apparently, yes, at least two of them. Medusa compared the open -domestic access video recording of terrorists from Crocus and the accused of a terrorist attack during the detention (our colleagues also carried out a similar analysis). Two can really be identified by specific clothes. This is the Saidraks of Rachabalizoda and Dalerjon Mirzoev.

The first on the video of the detention is in black jeans and sand -colored a T -shirt with white labels on the chest. One of the attackers on the videos and other notes from the Crocus shot on the terrorists himself is also dressed.

Mirzoev in the video of the detention - in blue jeans with a black belt and an olive sweatshirt. An idently dressed person (it is he who, in the video, is trying to cut the throat of one of the executed men near the southeastern entrance to the hall) is present on the video from Crocus.

It is impossible to compare the other two attackers with the detainees on their clothes, and the faces of these men on all the videos are smeared before the detention. At the same time, an employee of Crocus said that one of them - Shamsiddin Fariduni - attended the concert hall on March 7. Then, according to unofficial information , he fell into the lens of the Crocus photographer.

Where were the alleged terrorists going to run? Is it exactly to Ukraine? And are there any other evidence in favor of the “Ukrainian trace”?

"Medusa" managed to geoloscope the place of detention of at least one alleged terrorist - by saidacrams of Rachabalizodes. It is located in the Navlinsky district of the Bryansk region, on the M-3 Ukraine highway. In order for the shortest way to get from the region to Belarus , the car had to be folded from M-3 20 kilometers earlier, to the Bryansk district road, and then get to the A-240 Gomel highway.

Thus, three versions remain:

• or the alleged terrorists really went to Ukraine;
• Or they, in principle, did not understand where they were going, and got lost;
• Or we are talking about the arrangement of the detention of the FSB (that is, the detention took place in one place, and the shooting in another).

As for the possible organizers (or customers) of the attack, by the evening of March 25, no new evidence in favor of the “Ukrainian version” appeared. Putin’s words that “a window was prepared from the Ukrainian side for terrorists for crossing the state border” were not backed up by evidence - as well as his reasoning that the attack on Crocus could be a “link in a series of attempts by those who have been fighting since the Russian Federation from 2014 by the hands of the Kiev regime”. At the same time, the “Islamic state in Vilaya Khorasan”, which took responsibility for the attack, during this time issued several materials that tried to prove its involvement. The main thing is such a certificate - a video made by terrorists during the attack.

Could the accused be caught earlier? Why did they let them go so far from Moscow?

Why they were given to go so far is unknown. All that we know about the arsenal of the operational-search measures of the Russian security forces indicates in favor of the version that they could certainly delay the car before.

To get to the official place of detention from Crocus, it will take at least four hours - even without taking into account traffic jams. And we recall to get out of the concert hall to the alleged terrorists on Friday evening - that is, through dense traffic at least on the Moscow Ring Road. At the same time, to establish the identity of the car on video cameras installed in the Crocus area does not look like a difficult task. And from Moscow to Bryansk there are many traffic police posts. The suspect’s car moved along the highway with excess speed that the cameras were fixed, the agency found out .

Nevertheless, for some reason, the car was not detained immediately. According to one version set forth by an anonymous source of RBC, this was intentionally: “According to the source, they went to the M-3 Ukraine highway and followed it towards the Bryansk region. The interlocutor added that all this time they were tracked by special services - it was important to understand the route of the terrorist movement and establish the organizers of the attack. ”

Who detained the accused? Why did the video with their torture appear in the channels of supporters of the DShRG Rusich and the Wagner PMC?

The detention of the alleged terrorists became a separate important plot in the investigation-not only because they were supposedly caught on the highway leading to Ukraine, but also because of the demonstrative cruelty that the participants in the operation applied to the suspects. A wide resonance received a video in which the security officer in camouflage tries to stuff a piece of his cut ear in Rachabalizoda. Apparently, this video first appeared in the closed channel of the founder of the Male State Movement Vladislav Pozdnyakov (it is known as the instigator of the persecution campaigns and, possibly, attacks on opposition activists, and even the Russian authorities consider the “male state” an extremist organization).

Later, the knife, which was cut off by a piece of the detainee’s ear, was auctioned by Evgeny Rasskazov-under the call sign “Topaz”, he fights in Ukraine as part of the Diversion-School intelligence group “Rusich”, founded by neo-Nazi Alexei Milchakov and equipped, including his supporters.

Topaz also posted a photo of allegedly its subscriber, who participated in the operation to detain terrorists: on the frames, the face of this person is closed by a sticker, resembling the emblem of the SS Tank Division, the “dead head” is sewn in its shape in the form of the occult symbol “Black Sun”, also often used by neo -Nazis (and used in Nazi Germany itself).

What exactly the power department does the ally of Milchakov and R and R and R and R and Rydn are unclear. According to the telegram channel “VChK-OGPU ”, “at the place of detention of the alleged terrorists, the“ mobile group of the FSB border guards ”tried. And with her, fighters of the FSB Center and Special Forces of the Main Intelligence Directorate participated in the operation. The same information was confirmed by a source aware of the course of the operation.

Apparently, someone from this group continued torture after the suspects were taken away from the scene of the detention: on the afternoon of March 24, the Grey Zone telegram channel, close to the Wagner PMC, published a photo in which Shamsiddin Fariduni lies with lowered pants, and the Ta-57 military system is connected to his genitals-the security forces use this machine to torture electricity. Already in the evening of the same day, it became clear that torture was applied to all four detainees - in the Basmanny court they all appeared with injuries of varying severity.

Why torture information spread through such channels is difficult to say. The Kremlin refused to comment on violence against the detainees, so it is still impossible to assume whether such actions were authorized at the top or self -vosight and operational drain of cruel personnel through Pozdnyakov, Topaza and Grey Zone - exclusively the initiative of their supporters (?) From among the security forces. A source of Medusa, aware of the operation in the Bryansk region, believes that the authorities wanted to "show how we famously punish terrorists." We do not have evidence of this version yet.

Where did the terrorists get weapons?

There is no answer to this question either.

The terrorists left at least one rifle at least one rifle. Later, this weapon was shown by the Investigative Committee. In the video and photo from the SK-either the AK-12 machine gun, or its civilian version-TR3 carbine. The carbine is specially made in such a way that it has almost no external differences from the combat original. AK-12 has a four-position fuse (fire translator), TR3-a fuse to two positions. This is due to the fact that the civil version does not have the possibility of automatic shooting (bursts). It is difficult to consider such a part in the video SK. Moreover, it is impossible to consider the marking - another difference between the two versions of the rifle.

Judging by the video from the place of attack, shooting from this very weapon (it can be identified by camouflage) was carried out in automatic mode. However, among weapons lovers there are rumors that TR3 can be relatively easy to redo into an “automatic” version (this, of course, is prohibited by law). Perhaps such tuning is associated with the fact that, when shooting from the weapon trunk, sheaves of sparks broke.

The model of the weapon used is of fundamental importance: AK-12 is a relatively new model that is in service with the Russian army. It is unlikely that such a weapon can be easily found on the black market, unlike older models (judging by the 7.62 cartridges found on the site of the attack, terrorists also used automatic machines of other models). Civil versions can be legally bought in an arms store - although this is not easy. However, it is known that a significant number of AK-12 was lost by Russian military personnel during the hostilities in Ukraine.

The well-known specialist in small arms Maxim Popenker identified the weapon as the AK-12 of the early version.

Why did the security forces not manage to cover the terrorists in Crocus?

Probably because the whole assault took 10–20 minutes from force and the terrorists by the time the police arrived and/or special services had already disappeared. There are enough video recordings to restore the entireroute of the attackers. It begins on the street-terrorists park the car at the 14th entrance to Crocus Expo. Then they go south to the hall, not meeting resistance, not stopping and not climbing the stairs - and shooting people along the way.

The place and moment of fire in the hall also got to the video - they are separated from the parked Renault, on which the militants disappeared, less than 200 meters of the journey that can be overcome in less than five minutes. The beginning of the departure of the militants from the scene of the crime was shot on their own-this video was made in the southeastern (first) entrance to the hall. On it, a person in clothes, identical clothes with saidacraces at the time of detention, shoots people lying inside the corridor, and in the background fire is on - it is there that the militants poured liquid from the bottle on the previous record, which then flashes instantly. This moment:

A few seconds after the shooting of people, one of the terrorists in the corridor, another criminal, dressed in the same things that Dalerjon Mirzoev, during the detention, tries to cut the throat of the lying man. After that, all four begin to move north, towards their car.

Was there a present at the time of the attack of terrorists, armed employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs or the Russian Guard?

We cannot be sure that the armed security officials were in the Crocus itself, but we know for sure: in the neighboring building there is a police department of the Krasnogorsk microdistrict Pavly. What his employees did during the attack is unknown.

On one video from Crocus, you can see a man in camouflage with a dog on a leash, leaving after people who run from shooting. The telegram channel “VChK-OGPU” also claimed that near the concert hall the van of the Moving Revolutionary Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which allegedly participated in ensuring the safety of the Picnic concert, was parked. The car can really be considered on the records from the camera of the car passing by the car - armed people who run out of white Renault are also visible on the frames.

The head of the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Irina Wolf in her telegram channel said that "a man in camouflage form with a dog, captured in the video, has no attitude to the internal affairs bodies." According to her version, the police arrived at the scene of the terrorist attack after five minutes "after entering the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs in the City District of Krasnogorsk, information about shooting information." According to the estimates of the agency, in which case, the Ministry of Internal Affairs would have to have Crocus even before the attackers managed to hide.

The publication “Important Stories” and the Rain TV channel with reference to REGNUM reported that the Rosgvardi FSUE Group, armed with firearms, was located on the territory of “Crocus”. REGNUM later edited the record in its telegram channel, removing the mention of the power department. State Duma deputy Alexander Khinshtein, who worked in 2016-2018 as an adviser to the director of the Russian Guard, said that the FSUE “security” “had no and had nothing to do with the protection of Crocus.

Is it true that closed doors interfered with the evacuation of people in Crocus?

At least partially this, apparently, is true. In any case, visitors to the concert, running away from Crocus, spoke about the closed doors. But it is not clear whether in all cases they talked about the locked evacuation exits or it was about technical premises, to which only the employees of the site should have access.

One way or another, in one case, men had to knock out closed doors so that the audience could use the backup exit. Baza telegram channel, citing sources in the investigation, also said that four fire stairs were blocked during the attack. And bicycle locks hung on the evacuation doors - one of them managed to break the runaway people.

Actor and producer Sergei Svetlakov and football commentator Viktor Gusev said that the Crocus employee closed the door of all the lodges and helped to barricade them, "so as not to let terrorists go there." Svetlakov also added that one of these doors then broke the audience, escaping from the already burning hall.

How many visitors to the concert are missing?

We don't know. The authorities do not disclose this information. Only the number of dead and victims is known for sure: as of the evening of March 25, the first 139 , and the second 182 . Общая вместимость зала на концерте «Пикника», скорее всего, составляла чуть более шести тысяч зрителей, все билеты были распроданы.

Утром 25 марта телеграм-канал 112 без указания на источник информации сообщил, что спастись во время теракта смогли «более пяти тысяч человек». Если верить этим данным, а также принять во внимание, что не все посетители в момент нападения успели войти в «Крокус» (а кто-то просто не смог прийти), то число пропавших без вести находится в диапазоне от нескольких десятков до нескольких сотен.

112 утверждает, что нижняя граница этого диапазона — «несколько десятков человек» — и есть искомое значение. Вероятно, это действительно так — иначе бы в СМИ за эти три дня появилось значительное число историй поиска людьми пропавших близких. Такие сюжеты действительно всплывали в федеральных и региональных медиа — но в масштабе именно десятков, а не сотен имен разыскиваемых. Некоторые из этих сюжетов, к сожалению, получили трагическую развязку: пропавшие без вести опознаются среди погибших .

Отдел «Разбор» при участии Лилии Яппаровой