US intelligence agencies provided Russia with information regarding the possibility of a terrorist act in Crocus City Hall, however, the intel was too vague, SVR Director Sergey Naryshkin said on Tuesday.
"Yes, indeed, the [Russian] Federal Security Service [FSB] received certain information from US intelligence agencies that such an unfortunate event is possible. However, as our Russian colleagues mentioned, the information was too general and did not allow us to fully identify those who participated in this terrible crime," he told journalists at a press briefing in Moscow.
On March 22, several armed men broke into Crocus City Hall and started shooting at people. They also started a fire in one of the auditoriums, which was full of people ahead of a concert. The attack left 695 casualties, including 144 dead, according to the latest data from the Russian Emergencies Ministry. The four main suspects in the case — all citizens of Tajikistan — tried to flee the scene in a car but were detained and charged with terrorism. Russian authorities believe their plan was to flee to Ukraine, where the masterminds of the attack had arranged a safe haven for them. An investigation is underway.
The US Embassy in Moscow said in a security alert in early March that unspecified reports suggested that extremists had imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow, including concerts. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said at the time that the United States had not informed Russia about a possible terrorist threat in Moscow.