UPDATE 2: The FSB confirmed that the shooting in central Moscow was opened by a single gunman. The FSB also denied media reports that there were 3 attackers.
The terrorist was reportedly eliminated.
A brief summary of the developments:
- a terrorist armed with an assault rifle attacked the FSB public reception office. After a firefight with guards, he fled the building and contined shooting on the street. Later, he was reportedly eliminated;
- 2 FSB officers received injures;
- The Health Ministry said that a total of 5 people were injured in the incident.
- An FSB officer was killed in the firefight.
This video shows when the terrorist was neutralized:
Transcript:
Voice 1: Shoot him, for fuck’s sake
Voice 2: Are they shooting at him?
Voice 1: Damned if I know
Voice 3: There is an order to report who is on the site.
Voice 1: Yes, yes.
Voice 3: Yes?
Voice 1: Yes. Apparently, he’s killed.
Voice 2: No.
Voice 3: That’s all.
Voice 1: That’s all. Yes.
Voice 4. He was killed.
Voice 1: The bastard was killed. Or he lied down?
Voice 3. No, he was killed. There is a sniper.
Voice 4: There could be injured people. They run to them.
Voice 2: Alive?
Voice 4: Injured, injured.
Voice 5. Hide your heads. Are you idiots?
Voice 2: He’s dead. There is a body.
Voice 5: Some of our guys may have been injured.
Rapid and heroic reaction of Russian law enforcements allowed to thwart the terrorist’s plans and prevent civilian casualties. The security operation is ongoing in the area.
The December 19 incident became the first notable terrorist attack in Russia since the start of the year. Most likely, the terrorist chose the date because of President Vladimir Putin’s press conference took place on the same date.
During the press-conference, Putin mentioned the terrorist threat in Europe and adressed the incident with Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, the terrorist killed in Berlin in August in unclear circumstances. Khangoshvili was a member of the Emirate of the Caucasus terrorist organization. It has operated in Russia and is now active in Syria. It’s well known for its links with al-Qaeda.
Putin described the terrorist as a “brutal murderer” and said that people like him are freely roaming across Europe.
“We see how such people [like this terrorist] are freely roaming the European capitals,” Putin told media. “And what will happen if people who are currently sitting in [prison] camps [for terrorists in Syria] come to you? Would you like that? Would allow them to freely walk in your cities too?”
He was responding to a question about a Georgian national of Chechen origin who was assassinated in Berlin in August. German media identified him as Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, or Tornike K as the German authorities officially refer to him.
Putin emphasized that there should be a comprehensive cooperation between Moscow and Western states on tackling extremists. He recalled that Moscow alerted the US about Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev before the brothers bombed the Boston Marathon in 2013.
“We requested for them to be extradited [to Russia] and said they were dangerous. We were then simply ignored… And here you had criminals like that strolling through Berlin.”
***
UPDATE 1: Russia’s RT claimed that 3 gunmen were involved in the attack. According to this version, all of them were neutralized. According to RT:
The shooting incident at the FSB public reception office on Kuznetsky Most Street, 23, erupted at 18:10 local time.
Three unknown persons broke into the building and opened fire on the premises. In the following exchange of fire with the guard of the office, two attackers were killed. The third attacker fled the building and continued shooting on the street. A traffic police officer on duty was killed in front of the building.
The attacker covered about 300 meters, to the end of the Kuznetsk bridge, and turned to Vorovsky Square. He moved along Bolshaya Lubyanka Street, where he barricaded himself in one of the rooms of the building # 2. From there, he periodically fired at deploying law enforcement officers.
At 19:15 local time, the third attacker was neutralized. According to preliminary data, the security services consider the incident to be a terrorist attack.
Local media added that at least one grenade was seized on the scene. This confirms the version that this was a pre-planned terrorist attack. The rapid and professional reaction by Russian law enforcements allowed to minimize casualties and avoid a larger tragedy.
A live stream from central Moscow:
***
At least 3 people have been killed in a shooting incident near Lubyanka Square in central Moscow, local media reported on December 19.
According to reports, the fire was opened by a man armed with an automatic riffle. After this, Police immediately deployed in the area, encircling it and evacuating civilians.
Videos from the scene, circulating on social media, show multiple law enforcement officers. Gunfire can also be heard.
The situation is developing.
Lord have mercy. And the Russian cops, not to make light of the situation, are going “Yeah, yeah” in a Russian accent. Sorta like “Yeeah, yeeah”. And the silly teenage girls are giggling about the attack, as supposedly teenagers will do, having no real concept that people are in danger.