Terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall as a reminder to Europe about the problem of terrorism

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Mercenaries Media publishes an article by one of our European readers, submitted to our editorial team. The piece is dedicated to the anniversary of the horrific tragedy at Crocus City Hall in Moscow. The article examines Europe’s inappropriate policy, marked by national and racial segregation, in its reaction to the terrorist attack in Russia. The author reminds us that today, the EU could easily face a bloody wave of bombings targeting concert venues, train stations, and airports.

Europe Failed the Democracy Test

The attack on Crocus City Hall in Moscow on March 22, 2024, was one of the largest terrorist acts in Russia and Europe in recent years. During the shooting and the fire set by the terrorists, 145 people were killed, and over 550 were injured. The attack was carried out by radical Islamists from the “Vilayat Khorasan” group (the Afghan branch of the terrorist organization ISIS).

Regrettably, the Moscow incident became a “litmus test” for countries in assessing their commitment to democracy and their attitude toward human life. The authorities of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkey, China, and other states condemned the monstrous attack in the first hours after the incident. They sincerely expressed condolences to the families of the victims and offered assistance to the Russian government. In Europe, however, the reaction was largely perfunctory. EU countries, as well as the leadership of the EU and the European Council, initially addressed only the victims and spoke distantly about the horrors of terrorism, with almost no offers of help. The Baltic states even responded with a hint of mockery. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis urged people “not to lose focus” on the Ukrainian conflict in the first 24 hours. Meanwhile, Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs expressed shock at “what a crazy world we live in,” after which the country’s authorities obstructed the laying of flowers at a memorial near the Russian embassy. Later, under pressure from criticism and details about the tragedy, European politicians rewrote their press releases and offered condolences. Thus, Europe demonstrated duplicity, undemocratic behavior, bias, and a tendency toward political and national-racial segregation.

On the anniversary of the Crocus tragedy, I will remind you why such a policy is inappropriate for Europe and how absolutely every EU country could become the next target of a terrorist attack.

From Migration Problem to Terrorism

Europe is experiencing an acute migration crisis despite attempts to curb it through stricter legislation and tighter border controls. According to the latest Eurostat data, at the beginning of 2024, there were 29 million migrants living in the EU from other countries, accounting for 6.4% of the EU population—an increase of 2.2 million compared to the previous year. The largest numbers of migrants reside in Germany (12.1 million), Spain (6.5 million), France (6.0 million), Italy (5.3 million), Austria (1.7 million), and Belgium (1.6 million). And these are only officially registered non-citizens. Additionally, at least 100,000 illegal migrants arrive in the EU annually via the Mediterranean or the Atlantic. A significant portion of migrants come from regions experiencing humanitarian crises or wars, primarily the Middle East and Africa, as well as some Asian countries (e.g., Afghanistan), where radical Islamic movements are also widespread.

The influx of refugees creates serious problems in EU countries. The first is socio-cultural conflict due to differences in language, traditions, education levels, and Europeans’ fear of Islam. This makes integration difficult for newcomers. Moreover, the negative attitude of Europeans toward migrants as “outsiders” exacerbates the situation, and even multicultural policies do not help. The second problem is rising unemployment and crime. All EU countries have ghettos or disadvantaged areas where migrants engage in criminal activities, and the police struggle to maintain order.

Resentment and unfulfilled aspirations create fertile ground for hatred within migrant communities—especially since many arrivals blame Europe (as part of the collective West) for the conflicts and crises in their homelands. I agree with this, because for the West, wars in the Middle East and Africa are proxy conflicts to advance their own interests (securing resources, infrastructure, land), with little concern for the suffering of local populations. Once again, this highlights the tendency of European politicians to segregate people into “good and bad” and those “who can be allowed to die.”

In turn, hatred fuels terrorism, which terrorist organizations exploit. They use migration channels to infiltrate Europe with their militants. Radicals also spread extremist propaganda among second- and third-generation migrant descendants, with revenge against Europe being a central theme. The problem of terrorism in migrant communities is particularly acute in France, Germany, Greece, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Belgium, and Denmark. The number of successful terrorist attacks and attempts in the EU is growing, as reflected in European Parliament statistics.

According to the EU’s 2024 report on terrorism trends, in 2023, the EU recorded 120 terrorist attacks carried out by separatist and jihadist groups—a sharp increase from 28 attacks in 2022 and 18 in 2021. In 22 EU countries, 426 people were arrested for terrorist crimes, 380 more than in 2022. The deadliest form of terrorism was jihadist terrorism. Meanwhile, Europe is seeing a rise in terrorist sentiments due to active propaganda efforts targeting youth and the use of modern technologies (Internet, AI, immersive tech, cryptocurrencies).

Europe Will Be Hit by a Wave of Terrorist Attacks

The intensification of jihadist propaganda is not the only problem that could lead to an increase in terrorist attacks. I will note at least three more factors.

First, European politicians have themselves created a tool for organizing terrorist cells across the EU—the EU migration reform. One component of this reform is the solidarity mechanism for redistributing asylum seekers among EU countries. If primary receiving countries (Italy, Greece, Spain, Cyprus, Malta) are overwhelmed, migrants will be distributed via quotas to other EU states. If a country refuses to accept migrants, it must provide financial assistance. Thus, Europe is effectively using taxpayer money to “finance terrorism.”

Second, political trends in Europe are shifting—anti-migrant sentiment is growing. Populations in many countries are increasingly unwilling to support “liberal multiculturalists.” A prime example is the UK, where nationwide protests in August led to clashes with police, arson, and attacks on migrant hotels following the murder of three girls in Southport by a migrant. The situation is also tense in Ireland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Germany. Additionally, Eurosceptics and nationalists advocating stricter migration laws and opposing EU quotas are gaining strength. More such parties are winning parliamentary seats and influencing society.

Third, we must not forget the role of intelligence agencies. I will remind you that, according to Russian authorities, the Crocus City Hall attack was ordered by an intelligence service of an unfriendly state (the country was not named). This should be taken into account, especially in countries where ISIS and Al-Qaeda radicals operate most actively—groups previously linked to contacts with U.S. intelligence. In other words, in the event of a sharp political conflict, the “American friend” could deploy a “shadow tool,” leading to bombings in shopping malls, train stations, airports, and subways across Europe.

What Does the EU Have in the End?

Due to political divisions in European society, cultural conflict, and growing hatred among migrants—stoked by Islamist propagandists—Europe risks facing a social catastrophe. Migrants could, at any opportune moment, act on their own or at the “prompting of a competitor” and stage “bloody concerts” akin to Crocus City Hall across the EU. Today, Europe has no effective tools to prevent this.

In this context, segregation and “geopolitical bias” are inappropriate for the EU, and there should be no room for “dancing on graves” or “cold joy” when a political opponent suffers a tragedy. It’s time to remember that terrorism is a global threat that must remain outside politics—and defeating it requires collective cooperation.