Olga MALTSEVA / AFP
World leaders have condemned a deadly attack on a Moscow concert hall on Friday that killed more than 60 people and injured more than 100.
President Vladimir Putin wished a speedy recovery to the wounded victims and conveyed his thanks to doctors, Russia's deputy prime minister Tatyana Golikova was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies on Saturday after meeting with him.
Putin has yet to comment publicly on the attack.
Ukraine, which has been facing a Russian military offensive for the past two years, had "nothing to do" with the attack, presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak said on Telegram.
The main intelligence directorate of the Ukrainian defense ministry said "The terrorist attack in Moscow was a planned and deliberate provocation by the Russian special services on Putin's orders", alleging that the aim was to "further escalate and expand the war" with Ukraine.
United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres on Friday condemned "in the strongest possible terms today's terrorist attack", spokesman Farhan Haq said in a statement.
The UN Security Council also offered its condolences and urged all states "to cooperate actively" with the Russian government and other authorities to hold perpetrators and backers of "these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice".
The White House sent its condolences to the victims of the "terrible" shooting, saying it was trying to get more information.
"Our thoughts are with the victims of this terrible shooting attack," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters. "The images are just horrible and just hard to watch."
The White House also said that the United States warned Russian authorities earlier in March about a "planned terrorist attack" possibly targeting "large gatherings" in Moscow.
Chinese President Xi Jinping "strongly condemned" the attack and sent his condolences to Putin, state media reported.
Xi "stressed that China opposes all forms of terrorism, strongly condemns the terrorist attack and firmly supports the Russian government's efforts to safeguard its national security and stability," Xinhua news agency said.
Similar messages were sent by the European Union, French President Emmanuel Macron and Germany's foreign office.
