Russian Court Orders Terrorism Suspect Detained

A Russian court ordered another suspect charged with "terrorism" over the deadly attack on a Moscow concert hall to be held in pre-trial detention.

Russia has detained 12 people in connection with the massacre, including the four gunmen who shot dozens of concert-goers and then set the Crocus City Hall venue on fire last week in the deadliest attack in Russia for two decades.

The Basmanny district court in Moscow said it had ordered Nazrimad Lutfulloi, a Tajik citizen, to be remanded in custody and held in pre-trial detention until 22 May.

Nine of the 12 Russia says it has arrested have been sent to pre-trial detention. There has been no update on the other three.

The suspects face life in prison.

The Islamic State (IS) group has repeatedly claimed responsibility for the attack, its most fatal on European soil.

But Russian President Vladimir Putin has alleged a Ukrainian and Western connection.

Russia's Investigative Committee said it had evidence that "Ukrainian nationalists" were behind the attack and had funded the gunmen with cryptocurrency payments from Ukraine. It did not provide details of the allegations.

Kyiv and the West have repeatedly rejected the claims and accused Moscow of seeking to exploit the tragedy amid the political and military standoff.

Russia's health minister said that another victim had died in hospital, taking the death toll from the attack to 144.

IS issued its latest claim of responsibility when it said four of its members had been arrested after the attack.

In the latest issue of its weekly Al-Nabaa magazine published on Telegram channels, the group said its fighters had been hunted down by ground and air forces and were taken into captivity.