In brief

• The US Embassy in Moscow warned of a credible threat of a mass-casualty event at the Tsaritsyno Museum Reserve on October 31.
• Russia's FSB said it received information from US partners about a planned terrorist attack and is acting on it.
• US citizens were advised to avoid the site and crowded places, while museum staff initially said they had no information about any threat.

Embassy alert

The US Embassy in Moscow said on Saturday it had received credible information about a threat of an event that could cause mass casualties on October 31 at the Tsaritsyno Museum Reserve on Dolskaya Street in the Russian capital (Amerykanie ostrzegli Rosję. W tle groźba ataku terrorystycznego – Polsat News) (Ambasada USA ostrzega: możliwy atak terrorystyczny w Moskwie – Onet) („Bądź czujny, unikaj tłumu”. USA ostrzegają Moskwę przed atakiem terrorystycznym – RMF24) (USA ostrzegają o możliwym zamachu terrorystycznym w Moskwie – Rzeczpospolita) (Alarmujące ostrzeżenie amerykańskiej ambasady. Możliwy zamach w Moskwie – Wirtualna Polska). The embassy said Washington was coordinating its response with appropriate Russian authorities (Russland: US-Botschaft in Moskau warnt vor »Zwischenfall mit massenhaften Verlusten« – DER SPIEGEL).

American citizens were told to avoid the site and its immediate surroundings, stay away from crowded places and follow local news. They were also advised to keep their phones charged and carry identity documents (Посольство США попередило про загрозу теракту з масовими жертвами в московському "Царицино" – Espreso) (Загроза теракту з масовими жертвами в Москві: в посольстві США назвали місце можливого нападу – TSN).

Russian security service response

The Federal Security Service (FSB) later confirmed that it had received information from the United States through partner channels about preparations for a terrorist attack in Moscow, and said it was taking appropriate action without giving details (U.S. Embassy Warns of Potential 'Mass Casualty Event' in Moscow – The Moscow Times).

Events and site status

Two concerts were scheduled at Tsaritsyno on Saturday evening, an organ concert in the Bread House atrium and a gala concert in the Bazhenov Hall (USA varovaly Rusko před možným teroristickým útokem v moskevském parku – Seznam Zprávy). Museum administrators told the Mash channel they had no information about any threat and that the reserve was operating as usual. Later reports said the museum had been closed, the park was open for exit only, and law enforcement officers had arrived on site. Astra reported that the museum's website had stopped working, which it linked to the embassy warning, though the cause was not confirmed.

Background

The warning recalls a US alert issued in March 2024 about possible extremist attacks in Moscow. Days later, on March 22, 2024, gunmen attacked the Crocus City Hall concert venue in Krasnogorsk, outside Moscow, killing 145 people and wounding hundreds more.