As Kommersant learned, FSB and Investigative Committee officers detained an active member of the military wing of the group (virda) of followers of the religious movement of Batal-Khadzhi Belkhoroev, recognized as terrorist and banned in Russia. According to investigators, he was in fact an accomplice of the terrorists who attacked Crocus City Hall. It was the defendant who provided a new passport to one of the participants in the high-profile crime, using which he traveled abroad and is still wanted.
FSB officers for Ingushetia detained 54-year-old Khasan Altemirov, a member of the Batalkhadzhin military wing, recognized as a terrorist organization and banned by the decision of the Southern District Military Court on November 28, 2022. The investigation charges him with complicity (in the form of aiding and abetting) in leading a terrorist community (Part 5 of Article 33 and Part 1 of Article 205.4 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
According to security officials, in 2025, Altemirov, at the direction of the Vird leaders, provided at least three wanted Batalkhadzhin residents with fake passports (the organization is recognized as terrorist and is banned). Among them, the Investigative Committee especially notes, is Batyr Kulaev, who, together with his accomplices, armed the terrorists who participated in the attack on Crocus City Hall.
Using the passport received from Altemirov, Kulaev disappeared abroad and has not yet been caught.
As follows from the materials of the criminal case, natives of Ingushetia Khusen Medov, Dzhabrail Aushev, Khavazh-Bagaudin Aliev and Batyr Kulaev took out five empty machine guns and then converted them into combat ones. In addition, they obtained 1,881 rounds of 7.62 mm caliber. The guns and ammunition were hidden in Ingushetia and then sent to the capital region.
On March 22, 2024, using the weapons they received, Shamsidin Fariduni, Dalerjon Mirzoev, Muhammadsobir Fayzov and Saidakrami Rachabalizoda committed a terrorist attack in Crocus City Hall (Krasnogorsk). After shooting the concertgoers, they set the hall on fire. As a result, 147 people were killed, another 3 were missing, 336 victims received various injuries, and at least 1,971 people were exposed to danger, the case says. The damage caused amounted to 5.7 billion rubles.
19 perpetrators of the terrorist attack and their accomplices were tried before the Second Western District Military Court, 15 of whom, including “gunsmiths” Khusen Medov and Dzhabrail Aushev, received life sentences.
At the same time, the investigative authorities note that the Batalkhadzhin people (the religious movement of Batal-Khadzhi Belkhoroev is recognized as terrorist in the Russian Federation and is prohibited) took part in other high-profile crimes. In particular, they assisted in preparing the bombing in 2024 of the head of the radiation, chemical and biological defense forces of the Russian Federation, General Igor Kirillov.
A Kommersant source in law enforcement agencies clarified that at first Khasan Altemirov was caught illegally possessing a grenade, then his connection with terrorists was established. Now Altemirov is being tested for involvement in other serious crimes.
The text has been updated to include a comment from a law enforcement source.
