The Russian government has not yet presented any evidence linking the four men arrested in connection with the attack to Ukraine. Russian officials and pro-Kremlin media outlets point to the Bryansk region of Russia, which borders Ukraine, as proof that the suspects were planning to escape there.
During a meeting with Mr. Putin on Saturday, it was claimed that there was a prepared window on the Ukrainian side for the suspects to cross the border.
At a meeting on Monday with Mr. Putin, Russian officials provided more details about how the tragic event unfolded.
According to Aleksandr I. Bastrykin, Russia’s top investigator, the suspects arrived at the scene over an hour before the concert. They waited for the crowd to gather and began shooting two minutes before the show was scheduled to start. Thirteen minutes later, they fled the concert hall.
As they left the parking lot in a white Renault, they hit a family, causing severe injuries to two children. Investigators found two AK-47 rifles and over 500 bullets at the crime scene.
Tatiana A. Golikova, Russia’s deputy prime minister overseeing healthcare, reported that 145 people were hospitalized after the attack, with 93 still in hospital, including five children. Nine individuals, including one child, are in critical condition.
