US Embassy in Moscow Warns of Possible Terror Attack at Tsaritsyno Museum Complex

The US Embassy in Russia issued a security alert on Saturday, 31 October, about a possible terror attack at the Tsaritsyno museum and park complex in Moscow. The embassy says it has credible information about a threat that could cost lives. Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has confirmed it received information from the US about preparations for an attack, according to the independent Russian outlets The Moscow Times and Novaya Gazeta.

What the warning says

The embassy posted the alert on the social network X at 16:04 on Saturday. It said the attack could take place the same day at the complex, located at 1 Dolskaya Street. The US government is coordinating with the relevant Russian authorities to respond to the potential threat.

The embassy urged people not to visit Tsaritsyno and to avoid the surrounding area and crowded places. It also advised staying alert, keeping mobile phones charged, carrying identification documents and following local media for updates.

FSB response

The FSB said information about a terror attack being prepared in Moscow had been received from the US and that relevant work was under way. The statement was cited by the news agency RIA Novosti.

Earlier warning

A similar US warning was issued in March 2024, when the embassy urged people to avoid concerts and other crowded places, citing a possible extremist attack within the next 48 hours. Russian officials reacted critically at the time: President Vladimir Putin called Western warnings blackmail and an attempt to intimidate Russian society, while Sergey Naryshkin, head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, later said the US information had been too general to identify potential attackers.

Three days after Putin's remarks, on 22 March 2024, armed attackers carried out a terror attack at the Crocus City Hall concert venue. 145 people were killed and hundreds were injured.