Deaths and injuries have been reported after a gun attack at a concert hall near Moscow, Russian media say.

At least four people dressed in camouflage opened fire at the Crocus City Hall, social media video verified by the BBC shows.

Video obtained by Reuters news agency shows a large blaze and smoke rising from the hall.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry described the incident as a “terrorist attack”. Specialist police are at the scene

Footage on social media showed gunmen inside the concert hall while state media reported that some people were still inside.

Tass news agency reported a third of the concert venue is on fire and the roof is almost completely ablaze.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called on the international community to condemn the incident, which it called “a monstrous crime”.

US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the images of the shooting were “horrible and hard to watch”.

    • FlowVoid@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      That wouldn’t make sense.

      Putin was behind a series of apartment bombings when Yeltsin was president, thus making Yeltsin look weak. Yeltsin stepped down shortly after the bombings.

      But now Putin is president, so whoever is behind this attack is making Putin look weak.

      • ThrowawayPermanente@sh.itjust.works
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        8 months ago

        Unless a perpetrator is quickly identified and Putin sends the spetsnaz to get them. Then he will look like a strong leader who can defeat Russia’s enemies.

        • FlowVoid@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          Even if the perpetrators were killed at the scene, whoever is in charge looks incompetent.

          I mean, the government killed the Uvalde shooter but everyone still thought the government was incompetent.

      • AmbiguousProps@lemmy.today
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        8 months ago

        Not saying it’s a false flag, but in this case the goal of the false flag would be to put blame on Ukraine.

        • FlowVoid@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          Every time Ukraine successfully strikes deep inside Russia, the Russian government is embarrassed. That’s why Russia prefers blaming careless cigarette butts than blaming Ukraine.

      • Bored Stonerian@sopuli.xyz
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        8 months ago

        Not behind literally every bad thing -true. But he does control everything that does happen in Russia. Nothing like this happens in Russia without some official support, or at least knowledge.

        • sanpedropeddler@sh.itjust.works
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          8 months ago

          Putin does not control everything that happens in Russia either. That would be ridiculous. Maybe he had some warning but didn’t take it seriously, but he certainly didn’t support it and he certainly didn’t do it.