Vladimir Putin Says Supermarket Explosion Was Terror Attack

Putin Dreamstime
Lily Rose|

Russian President Vladimir Putin is calling the Dec. 27 explosion at a supermarket in St. Petersburg a terrorist attack.

So far no one has claimed responsibility for the explosive device that detonated in the supermarket's customer locker area, injuring 13 people, but Putin is pointing his finger at terrorism. 

A tweet from Bloomberg's deputy bureau chief reported that the government of St. Petersburg will pay the victims of the terror attack 300,000 rubles ($5,200) apiece as restitution.

At an awards ceremony in the Kremlin for troops involved in Russia's Syria campaign, Putin commented that terrorists were the likely perpetrators of the homemade bomb, which contained seven ounces of explosives rigged with shrapnel. As reported by Reuters, the Russian president said that security forces whose lives may be threatened by terrorist suspects should shoot and kill if necessary.

Putin also announced that a separate terrorist attack had been prevented in St. Petersburg but did not provide any further information. An image of the supermarket suspect, who has been described as having a "non-Slavic appearance," was captured on surveillance cameras, and a criminal investigation has been launched by authorities.

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