US Warns Russia Of Terror Plot In Moscow, Issues Mass Casualty Alert At Tsaritsyno Museum Reserve

Moscow: Russia’s Federal Security Service has confirmed receiving shocking intelligence information from the United States concerning preparations for a possible terrorist attack in Moscow and has initiated appropriate counter-measures. The confirmation was reported on Saturday by Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, warning of possible mass casualties at the Tsaritsyno Museum Reserve in Moscow.

According to the report, the FSB received the intelligence through established partner channels that continue to operate between Washington and Moscow for security matters. The agency stated that relevant work was being carried out, without offering any further specifics about the nature of the plot or the content of the American information.

The acknowledgement from the Russian side came shortly after the US Embassy in Moscow issued a public security alert, warning of a possible mass-casualty incident in the capital.

US Embassy Names Tsaritsyno Museum As Threat Location

In a separate advisory, the US Embassy stated that it was aware of a credible threat of a mass-casualty event scheduled for Saturday at the Tsaritsyno Museum Reserve in the Russian capital. The mission stressed that the US government was coordinating with Russian agencies over the threat.

The Tsaritsyno Museum Reserve, a sprawling palace museum and park complex in southern Moscow, has since been temporarily closed. The RIA reported, citing Russian law enforcement agencies, that access to the park has also been restricted.

Although the embassy specifically identified the site at Dolskaya Ulitsa 1, the FSB did not name the museum as the intended target in their own statement, nor did the consulate specify when or where the alleged attack was expected to take place or disclose whether any suspects had been detained.

Advisory For Americans And Closure Of Museum Complex

The US Embassy’s security alert urged American citizens to avoid the location, to remain alert and to stay away from crowds. The advisory asked them to review their personal security plans, keep their mobile phones charged and carry identification. Americans were further advised to monitor local media for developments and to enrol in the US State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, known as STEP.

However, the embassy did not disclose the source of the threat intelligence or identify any organisation or person involved, nor did it provide details about the alleged attack apart from calling the threat credible and potentially involving mass casualties.

Fresh Alert Revives Memories Of Crocus City Hall Attack

The latest warning comes against the backdrop of a previous US alert in March 2024, a deadly day that witnessed a mass killing in Moscow. In the year 2024 on March 7, the embassy had warned that extremists had imminent plans to carry out an attack in the Russian capital targeting large gatherings, including concerts, and advised Americans to avoid large gatherings for the following 48 hours, although it did not name a specific venue.

Days after the warning, on March 22, gunmen attacked the Crocus City Hall concert venue outside Moscow. The Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility, while the US officials attributed the attack to the Afghanistan-based affiliate, ISIS-K. In the deadly attack, over 140 people were killed, with Reuters reporting the death toll as 149.

Subsequently, Washington stated that it had shared threat information with Moscow under the duty to warn policy. However, FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov later termed the American information being of a general nature, according to Interfax.

Meanwhile, the circumstances around the latest warning are different, as this time, the US Embassy has identified a specific location and date, while the FSB has publicly acknowledged receiving information from the American side, which was also a rare open confirmation of intelligence sharing between the two countries.