Official website of the President of Russia

Russia has become a target of attacks by international terrorism. These criminals take aim at defenceless people – women, children and the elderly. The pain and sorrow in our hearts has not yet faded. We pray that the souls of the dead rest in peace and that the injured recover, and give our condolences to everyone affected by this disaster.

But sorrow will not make us give up. In order to win, we must act.

In the last decade, terrorism has grown to global dimensions. It has covered the whole world with its net, forming invisible cells in every country. And the response by the civilised world to this grave danger must be a concerted one. There is no place here for double standards.

To repulse terrorism effectively, the state and civil society must unite their efforts; religious organisations, public associations, political parties and all the country’s citizens must be consolidated.

We support the actions of the Russian authorities in ensuring the security of citizens and stopping terrorism announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin. We consider the idea to create a Public Council under the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation to be productive, as it is extremely important to take into account the opinion of the society in examining key issues faced by the country.

In fighting the terrorist threat, it is important to strictly observe the norms laid down in the Constitution and the laws of Russia. Our enemy wants to push Russia into chaos and lawlessness. The historic experience of the human race, including in our country, shows: when legality and humanity are forgotten in the heat of battle, the consequences may be very tragic. And such mistakes must not be repeated!

We call on all religious leaders to explain the necessity of taking measures to ensure the safety of citizens. We call on all the believers to help the authorities and the law-enforcement bodies in every way possible.

These criminals are intentionally aiming to foment hostility between people of different religions and ethnicities, to divide the society. The terrorists, using the most brutal methods, are trying to sow fear, despair and hostility. And we declare: anyone who gives in to blind hate, who vents anger on people of different ethnicities or religions, is helping evil, intentionally or otherwise, and aiding bandits.

It is time to understand: the dividing line is not between people of different ethnicities or different beliefs, not between believers and unbelievers. And of course it is not between the state and any of peoples of Russia. All of us, Russian citizens, are fighting a common enemy, together with the civilised world.

Today, some people justify those who stand behind terrorists and give them orders, and call for negotiations to be held with them. But compromises are a dead end. Global terrorism will stop at nothing to subjugate the entire world, and it cannot be won over with any concessions. So we call on everyone to remember their moral responsibility for what they say. We must not assist terrorists – neither by actions nor by words.

The ringleaders of international terrorism use religion to justify their crimes. The true victim of terrorism is Islam, which they try to use for their own ends. Future suicide bombers are convinced that they will go to heaven. But all religions teach that the murder of innocents is a terrible sin. We are certain that the flames of hell await terrorists for these monstrous crimes. The spiritual leaders of Muslims and other religions should not remain silent; they should raise their voices and speak the truth out.

We believe in our victory over terrorism.

We believe in the future of Russia.