Russians unite in grief over terrorist attack - 'they will not break us'

Sunday was a day of mourning in Russia to commemorate the victims of the terrorist attack on concertgoers in the town of Krasnogorsk on Friday. 

The latest reports say at least 137 people were killed and 152 were hospitalized. Russian authorities say they apprehended those who pulled the triggers, but the investigation should show who is behind the attacks.

From early Sunday morning, an endless stream of people were heading towards the Crocus Concert Hall in the town of Kranogorsk, located on Moscow's outskirts.

Already, a mountain of flowers had piled up close to the burned building. It was cold and rainy, but despite those conditions, people continued to turn up to show their support for the victims of what is Russia's worst terrorist attack in two decades.

Young and old, Russians and non-Russians, all have been coming here with their own thoughts and overwhelming feelings. A pensioner, Svetlana Vasilevna, from Moscow, was waiting for over half an hour in line to lay flowers. She shared her thoughts with CGTN Europe.

"This is another test of Russia's strength. But I believe that they did not break us and will not break us. But hour X has come. We need to think about who we are with, what we stand for, and what our priorities are," Svetlana said.

Pavel, a man in his mid-20s, was in the next line. he said: "The feeling is terrible, of course. I was in Donetsk and in Lugansk when, all of a sudden, this was happening here.

"It's clear there is a war there, so it is a horror. But when everything is happening here to the people who are not involved in any way, this, of course, brings to me nothing but horror and indignation.”

Among those who came to pay respects was Chen Yiming from Hunan Province in China. He was in the Crocus food court when the shooting started, and it was the most traumatic experience of his life. With a trembling voice, he described how he escaped from Crocus that night and his feelings now about the ordeal.

READ MORE

Crops fail, olive trees dry up, grapevines die out as Spain runs dry

E-waste far outstripping its recycling, warns report

Who is Bitcoin inventor Satoshi Nakamoto?

"I feel very sad, and at the same time I feel very lucky that I was actually in this horrible situation, but I didn't really have any accident happen to me," Chen said. "The thing is lucky for me and is lucky for my family. That's how I feel right now."

In the meantime, the authorities released footage of the capture of four suspects in the area close to the town of Bryansk. They say the suspects were trying to escape to Ukraine, and the special forces who detained them apparently showed no mercy. 

In his address to the nation on Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin also said there would be no mercy for all who not only committed this crime, but also who ordered it.

Subscribe to Storyboard: A weekly newsletter bringing you the best of CGTN every Friday