Moscow terror attack to escalate conflict in Ukraine: Serbian president

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said Friday that a shooting and blast targeting a concert hall in the Moscow region will further escalate the conflict in Ukraine.

Vucic noted that on March 7, the American Embassy urged citizens not to go shopping in malls in Moscow.

“Some other embassies did the same thing later. This means that their services intercepted certain conversations, and they knew this was going to happen. In any case, this is a tragic event that will have incalculable consequences. Some will say they are Islamists, some will say Kyiv. Some will even say that Moscow did it. However, there is no doubt that there will be further escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, approaching a general war,” Vucic, a close fired of Russian President Vladimir Putin. said on the TV Prva broadcaster.

Vucic said many were laughing and every day it is getting closer to a world conflict.

“There is a superpower that is not America whose way of acting is this. We will see what (Director of the Federal Security Service of Russia, Alexander,) Bortnikov will announce about the terrorist attacks. It doesn't mean anything if the terrorists are from Ingushetia or Dagestan, or even from Ukraine, but who is the organizer,” said Vucic.

He urged a National Security Council meeting for Saturday following the attack and told the nation that the Security Intelligence Agency would secure stadiums and malls in Serbia.

The attack Friday was in Krasnogorsk, the administrative center of the Moscow region, where the music band Picnic was performing in the Crocus City Hall, according to preliminary information.

An explosion was later reported at the venue, causing a large fire.

The Emergency Ministry said about a third of the building was engulfed in flames, with several helicopters working to extinguish the blaze.