President Putin blames Ukraine for Moscow concert hall attack

Russian President Vladimir Putin denounced the Moscow concert hall shooting as "barbaric" and said that four suspects were arrested while they were attempting to flee. 

In a five-minute televised address to the nation on Saturday, the president alleged that the Crocus City Hall attack received assistance from Ukraine. 

Putin stated, "They were trying to hide and were moving toward Ukraine. Based on preliminary information, a window for crossing the border was prepared for them by the Ukrainian side."

Russian authorities have taken into custody at least 11 suspects, including four alleged gunmen, in connection with the Moscow concert hall shooting that has so far claimed at least 143 lives. 

The Crocus City Hall attack has left over 120 people wounded. 

The venue, Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk, was left devastated by the violent assault.

​In a horrific attack, Russia suffered its deadliest act of terrorism in a decade. Just hours later, Daesh claimed responsibility for the attack. The attack coincides with the ongoing war in Ukraine, that is now stretching into its third year.

Putin did not explicitly mention Daesh in his remarks, however the group's affiliate, ISIS-Khorasan, declared online that it had targeted a gathering of "Christians" in Krasnogorsk.

Ukrainian officials strongly rejected Putin's accusation of their involvement in the attack. Ukraine said that their primary goal is to protect their country's sovereignty and stand firm against Russian aggression.

The attack took place days after a warning issued by US authorities on March 7 this year regarding a potential attack in Russia by ISIS. The US Embassy in Moscow had alerted about extremist plans to target large gatherings, including concerts, in the region.

In a statement, the US State Department condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with the Russian people in mourning the loss of life.