The attack on Crocus concert hall near Moscow was the worst act of terrorism carried out in Russia in more than 20 years. More than 130 people were killed after gunmen stormed the venue on Friday night.
Islamic State quickly claimed responsibility for the attack and provided additional video footage of the massacre.
On Sunday, four suspects appeared in court in the Russian capital charged with acts of terrorism in connection with the incident. The men were officially identified as citizens of Tajikistan, Tass state news agency said, and were remanded in custody for two months.
Despite the weight of evidence pointing in one direction, the Kremlin has been reluctant to focus the blame on IS. President Vladimir Putin claimed without evidence that Ukraine had aided the attackers and had planned to “open a window” for the gunmen to escape.
A Kremlin spokesperson said: “The investigation continues. No solid theory has been announced just yet. This is only a matter of preliminary information.”
It is a moment of danger for Putin, who is closely associated with the Russian security services. It is also a moment of opportunity as he looks to channel public outrage in his response in the coming days.
Photograph: Maxim Shipenkov/EPA
Support The Guardian
The Guardian is editorially independent.
And we want to keep our journalism open and accessible to all.
But we increasingly need our readers to fund our work.