President Vladimir Putin:
The crime that was committed today is clearly an attempt to destabilise the situation in the country on the eve of parliamentary elections. It is my conviction that these criminals will not achieve their aim, above all because the citizens of Russia will not let them.
This crime that was committed this morning also shows us that international terrorism, this challenge faced by many countries today, also remains a serious threat for our country. This is a ruthless, cunning and dangerous enemy that we face, an enemy whose crimes bring suffering, above all, to innocent people.
The government and the regional authorities will do all they can to provide assistance to the victims, and the special services and the prosecutor’s office will have to make every effort needed to solve this crime.
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I would ask you to report to me on your work plans and on recent work in this area.