The explosion in the subway of St. Petersburg: what is known about the incident
On the blue metro line of Saint Petersburg, an explosion occurred. 11 people were killed and 47 passengers were injured. The city declared three days of mourning. Vladimir Putin called the attack a priority version of the events. Political analysts predict a tightening of the screws as the reaction of the authorities.
The terrorist attack in the subway of Saint-Petersburg+7 (812) 299-99-99Телефон trust of EMERCOM of Russia in St.-Petersburgerstrasse+7 (495) 983-79-01Справочная EMERCOM of the Russian Federation+7 (499) 216-99-99Единый helpline MOE РФ3 April about 14:40 GMT on the stretch between the stations “Institute of Technology” and “Sennaya Ploschad'”, Saint-Petersburg subway explosion occurred in the train. According to the latest data, 11 people were killed and 47 passengers were injured
- Official site of GU of EMERCOM of Russia in St. Petersburg
- The official website of EMERCOM of Russia
- Facebook has activated the button “I’m safe” in St. Petersburg
- “VKontakte” activated hashtag #home
- “Classmates” has activated the function “I’m safe”
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The explosion in the subway occurred on the stretch between the stations “Institute of Technology” and “Sennaya Ploschad” at around 14:40, told RBC in the National anti-terrorist Committee (NAC). According to intelligence, we are talking about an unidentified explosive device. As said the Minister of health Veronika Skvortsova, ten people were killed, 47 people were injured, 43 were hospitalized, including one child.
Within hours after the explosion, city officials have closed all city subway stations. The explosive device “was left” in the car under the seat, reported “Interfax” citing a source. The power of the bomb amounted to 500 g in a trotyl equivalent, as a destructive element that was used the balls from the bearing, said the interlocutor of RBC in law enforcement. According to him, intelligence agencies are studying “the extremist footprint.”
Later in the National antiterrorist Committee reported that another bomb was discovered at “Vosstaniya Square”. A device that sappers defused, it was disguised as a fire extinguisher, its capacity was 1 kg in a trotyl equivalent.
Vladimir Putin was informed about the incident, told RBC press Secretary of the President Dmitry Peskov. The President at the time of the explosion worked in Strelna, he explained. Putin arrived in St. Petersburg on the morning of April 3, addressed the annual forum of the Russian popular front. “I’ve already spoken to the heads of special services, the Director of the FSB. Law enforcement agencies and special services work, will do everything to identify the causes of the incident, to give a full assessment of what happened,” — said the head of state at the meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
Of course, we always consider all options — both domestic and criminal, primarily manifestations of terrorist characterologies Putinprime of the Russian Federation
Criminal case under article 205 of the criminal code (a terroristic act) in connection with the explosion brought the Investigative Committee. According to spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko, Saint Petersburg seconded the staff of head Department on investigation of especially important cases. The interlocutor of RBC, close to the TFR pointed out that the case is still according to article 223.1 of the criminal code (illegal circulation of explosives). According to “Interfax”, the alleged terrorist caught in the lens of the cameras.
The attack in St. Petersburg is somewhat like “attacks which were in Moscow in 2010, at metro stations “Lubyanka” and “Park of Culture”, said in an interview with RBC head of the Duma security Committee Vasily Piskarev. According to him, the nature of the destruction of cars, we can conclude that exploded “shell-free device.”
Eyewitness accounts
A resident of St. Petersburg Arslan Kurbanov told RBC that his colleague was on one of the subway stations, where he arrived on a train blown up. According to him, he sent him the photograph and the message: “On the stretch was a blast, the guy left the briefcase, opened the door and went into another car. Only one car”.
I was going down the escalator on the Hay when he heard a dull thump. Went down to the station, and in the end it was evident the strong sedimentary Borrowobject got out of the train at the station “Institute of Technology”, saw the smoke and people in the blood rushing through me. Passengers fled, some didn’t understand what lucratively Sikolohiyang 14:34 about started burning smell in our car. Our train pulled into the station, when there was an explosion. The driver calmed the passengers and opened Dorimare Kuzenkova
The explosion was heard “from the floor”, told the radio station “Moscow Says” one of the witnesses: “Knocked the hatch in front of the door. The smoke, the dust, and there was a very strong smell of burning. We got to the station “Technological Institute”, and all got out of the car”.
Vulnerable object
“No metro neither Moscow nor St. Petersburg nor Paris — does not have the technical means to prevent the attack. Moreover, the set of technical tools we have is very limited: a framework of metal detectors, random checks of police and private security companies and alarm button. This whole set — it is more for fairness. We are told that like as it’s safe, although in reality it is not. Billions wasted,” — says the Vice-President of the Association of veterans of division of Antiterror “alpha” Alexey Filatov.
Any infrastructure is vulnerable elements from the perspective of security. In the subway we can call a huge number of objects, which are technically to protect DeltaLeasing Mihailovski head of Center of public relations (TSOs) FSB
According to him, the framework of metal detectors and magnetic detectors in public areas can not solve its tasks: “during peak hours when a large number of people it is impossible to track. When the crowd goes, it all rings”. In addition, to carry an explosive device on an object where no technical equipment for safety is not provided, for example in the bus or the trolley, said Mikhailov. Therefore, according to him, anti-terrorism measures should focus not on the security of the facilities and in the field.
Since Russia is dealing with a large number of threats that “come from a very wide range of assumptions, who could carry out such an act, from the psycho-loners to groups associated with the banned in Russia “Islamic state”, says the former head of TSOs FSB.
As told RBC Filatov, one of these dead zones is “a visual method of identifying criminals”, which is actively used, for example, in Israel.
“We have this system yet, but we are trying to copy it and trust this job to people unprepared. Of course, no ordinary policeman could not guess the eyes or gait, is whether the person to commit a crime. Most often the ability to selectively check leads to the fact that police pull people of Caucasian nationality from the crowd to make fun of, but not counter-terrorism, said the veteran of “alpha”. — It is necessary to work at more distant approaches, where terrorists are trained, where they get the explosives in rented apartments, where they are prepared to become martyrs. And if a person is already an explosive device and he’s looking for a place with large concentrations of people, he’ll find”.
Extremist footprint
Recently the monitoring team did not record the activity of Islamist groups in St. Petersburg, said in a conversation with RBC head of the Russian representative office of the International crisis group, Yekaterina sokyryany. According to her, the last high-profile incident involving terrorist groups have occurred in the city in August last year. Then as a result of the RAID was killed by the leader of the Kabardino-Balkarian underground Zalim Shebzukhov. But the banned in Russia “Islamic state” that was not nothing, specifies sokyryany, noting that to do in this regard, the conclusions about the causes of the explosions in the subway yet.
No sign of the growth of Islamist crime in St. Petersburg were observed, but the attack can be any way with it not connected, said RBC head of the information-analytical center “Sova” Alexander verkhovskiy: “most Likely, these people are just not local.”
Any of the major cities of Russia may become a target for terrorists linked to the Islamist underground, believes the chief editor of the Internet edition “Caucasian knot” Grigory Shvedov. According to him, it was, for example, Volgograd shortly before the Olympics. “But the choice of St. Petersburg is not accidental here. The goal of terrorists is always to draw attention, and in this case Petersburg is definitely a clear choice,” — said the chief editor of “Caucasian knot”, noting that on the day of the terrorist attack in the city came to the President. “The perpetrators of the attacks are often motivated by the fate of their relatives who were persecuted. A motivated propaganda of the “Islamic state”, which is often based on real facts of oppression of believers — for example, in Dagestan were closed many mosques, one was even burned,” said Shvedov.
Equally symbolic, as the attack in St. Petersburg, was the recent attempt to seize military unit of Regardie in Chechnya, said RBC analyst, orientalist Alexei Malashenko. “And this is a trend. Here it is — the main force, here it is — support Putin. And that’s how we finished,” explained the analyst. According to him, so the terrorists get rid of the status of bandits and achieve what they perceive as a powerful paramilitary organization.
“If this same audience comes to the current St. Petersburg the pulse, you have to be prepared for any eventuality,” said the expert.
The General trend from 2013 to 2016 was to decrease [in terrorist activity]. The attacks were quite frequent, but as a system they could not perceive. Some, including me, were expecting again something will happen. While all this and idealise Malashenkova, orientalist
2015 to ensure the safety of the Saint Petersburg metro was contracted by at least 1.3 billion rubles., calculated by RBC based on the data of public procurement. These funds went to installation and repair of video surveillance systems, acquisition of equipment to screen passengers and the services of employees of private security companies.
Future tightening
Tragedy in the subway greatly change the political reality, said RBC analyst Nikolay Mironov. “From talking about the grievances and problems [in connection with the anti-corruption rally on March 26] we move on to talk about security, and the government feels more confident, he says. — Such events rather hold a society together. I think it will be another strengthening of security measures, although it is constantly happening.”
The attack directly during the President’s speech in the city centre is “an act of intimidation and postcard” terrorists to the authorities that no security measures do not stop them, the expert believes
The use of terrorist acts for tightening the screws is a domestic tradition, so to exclude such development of events is impossible, said RBC analyst Abbas Gallyamov. In his opinion, in a political sense to attack there are two types of reactions. The first is “put aside differences and rally around the government, and anyone who is against — he is a national traitor”. The second reaction — dissatisfaction with the government that allowed the attack.
“It is clear that the Kremlin will now do anything in order to stifle reaction of the second type. To do this, it is likely to maximize the first, — says the analyst. Even if the Kremlin does not, in the country there are many people who wanted to demonstrate their loyalty to the authorities, so no calls for the tightening of the screws can not do.”
Political analyst Konstantin Kalachev, in contrast, believes that a renewal of the threat of terrorism unprofitable for the authorities because it will raise questions about the effectiveness of the leadership of the country under the prevention of terrorist attacks, which was the main topic of the first presidential term of Putin.
With the participation of Alexey Gavrilko-Alexeev, Philip Aleksenko
The explosion in the subway in Saint Petersburg
Tecnologica now. #Explosion pic.twitter.com/P7LL8kXpHr
— Nikita Pavlov (@pavlov_plov) 3 APR 2017
Explosive device in the St. Petersburg metro was striking elements, media reported https://t.co/EhEKR3CSTF pic.twitter.com/htfxeuOnMe
— RIA Novosti (@rianru) 3 APR 2017
The power of the explosions were small — 200 and 300 g in a trotyl equivalent, the Source TASS pic.twitter.com/mkto0SeJrD
— Rustem Adagamov (@adagamov) April 3, 2017
The scene of the explosion. Online https://t.co/ooAqgLSM5G pic.twitter.com/iHdWhXi2vy
— Ilya Varlamov (@varlamov) 3 APR 2017
SadovayaSennaya closed#explosion #Peter pic.twitter.com/ZxhTGTLUmw
— dmitriy blinnikov (@discojournalist) 3 APR 2017