The investigation into the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall outside Moscow has revealed shocking details about the preparation and motives of the militants who killed 145 people on March 22, 2024. Defendant Dalerdzhon Mirzoyev, one of the four perpetrators of the attack, told investigators about the terrorists’ plans and the influence of curators who manipulated the group, convincing them that the concert of the Piknik group would be a gathering place for “many Jews.” This information, like other details, points to a meticulous but chaotic preparation of the attack, including reconnaissance of targets in Moscow and attempts to create explosive devices.

According to Mirzoyev, the militants initially considered several targets in the capital: Red Square, the synagogue on Chistye Prudy, the Moscow trade fair complex in Lyublino, and the Mega Belaya Dacha shopping center. The terrorists conducted reconnaissance, photographing the objects and assessing their vulnerability. Red Square was excluded due to the dense police presence, the Moscow complex - due to armed guards and multiple evacuation exits, as well as the proximity of the fire department. The synagogue and Mega Belaya Dacha were also not suitable after assessing the risks. In the end, the choice fell on Crocus City Hall, where, according to the militants' calculations, it was possible to inflict maximum damage due to the large crowd of people and insufficient protection.

The investigation established that a month before the attack, the terrorists tried to make an improvised explosive device (IED) in Novosibirsk, where Mirzoyev lived. Together with another supporter of the Islamic State (ISIS), a terrorist organization banned in Russia, named Shoyev, they worked on a bomb, but were unable to create a working detonator. The plan to attack in Novosibirsk was rejected, and the group switched to Moscow. Shoyev, according to sources, later went to Tajikistan, where the militants also discussed the possibility of a terrorist attack, but ultimately settled on the Russian capital.

The investigation was particularly interested in the episode with the "water with a strange taste", which Shamsutdin Fariduni distributed to other militants before the attack. After drinking it, according to Mirzoyev, he and his accomplices felt a surge of strength, courage and a complete lack of fear. Mirzoyev claimed that he had previously been unable to even slaughter a chicken, but under the influence of the substance he committed mass murder. Experts suggest that these could have been psychoactive substances used by the handlers to suppress the instinct of self-preservation and increase aggression.

The weapons used by the terrorists were of poor quality. Some of the machine guns were decommissioned, with bored-out barrels that were repaired in makeshift conditions using electric welding. Video footage of the attack shows the weapons sparking and spreading widely when fired. This did not stop the militants, as they were shooting at close range, but it could have become a problem in the event of a shootout at a distance.

Mirzoev's lawyer Oleg Vlasov said that the perpetrators met just a few days before the attack, and coordination was carried out via Telegram. The Russian Investigative Committee established that funding was carried out through cryptocurrency and bank transfers from Ukraine, although Kyiv categorically denies involvement.