Kyrgyzstan advises citizens to postpone travel to Russia following Crocus City Hall shooting fallout

The New Voice of Ukraine
·2 min read
On March 22, a terrorist attack took place in the Crocus City Hall concert hall near Moscow
On March 22, a terrorist attack took place in the Crocus City Hall concert hall near Moscow

Kyrgyzstan’s Foreign Affairs Ministry has urged its citizens to put off unnecessary travel to Russia following a shooting at the Crocus City Hall shopping center near Moscow that was blamed on migrants from Central Asia, Reuters reported on March 27.

If Kyrgyz citizens still wish to travel, the Ministry urges them to have all required documents on them at all times and comply with the lawful orders of Russian police.

The March 22 attack has fueled anti-immigrant sentiment in Russia, especially towards laborers from the predominantly Muslim countries of Central Asia, Reuters said.

A Russian court ordered the detention on March 26 of a man born in Kyrgyzstan on charges of providing housing to four suspects involved in the shooting, all with Tajik origins. They and three other Tajiks suspected of complicity are also in custody.

Hundreds of thousands of Central Asians work in Russia, and some have already said it has become tougher for them to do so, the publication said. Some passengers, for example, refuse to board taxis with Tajik drivers.

Read also: Moscow mass shooters claimed to be Tajik nationals and ISIS fighters

Shooting at Rus sia's Crocus City Hall

Several terrorists opened fire with automatic weapons on attendees at a concert hall in Crocus City Hall in the Moscow suburb of Krasnogorsk, where the band Piknik was set to perform. According to Russian authorities, 139 people were killed.

Russia claimed it detained those involved in the shooting. The FSB found a "Ukrainian trace" in the incident, alleging that the suspects were heading to cross the border into Ukraine, where they supposedly had contacts. This narrative is also being pushed by Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and Russian propaganda.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry and the Presidential Office have categorically denied Russian officials' accusations of Ukraine's involvement in the Crocus City Hall shooting.

Read also: Why Russia is trying to blame Ukraine for Crocus City Hall attack: expert opinion

ISIS claimed responsibility on March 23, releasing photos of the suspects detained by the Russian FSB earlier. Later, ISIS released a video shot by the terrorists in Crocus City Hall.

There's zero evidence tying Ukraine to the attack in Crocus City Hall near Moscow, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on March 25.

The U.S. Embassy warned on March 8 its citizens in Russia about the threat of a terrorist attack in Moscow. American diplomats stated that the attack could be carried out in crowded places, such as a concert.

Putin is said to have reportedly denied the U.S. warning, instead blaming the "West" for attempting to "intimidate" Russia.

Read also: Lukashenko derails Putin’s narrative about ‘Ukrainian trace’ in Moscow terror attack

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