Putin vows payback for bomb slaughter at airport

No claims of responsibility have been made for Monday's attack at Domodedovo Airport but suspicion has fallen on Islamist separatist insurgents from Chechnya or elsewhere in Russia's troubled Caucasus region.

A British businessman killed in the suicide bombing had a six-month-old daughter and was due to get married this spring.

Gordon Cousland, 39, a property consultant, had just landed when he became caught up in the horrific blast in the airport.

His brother Robin, from Sleaford, Lincolnshire, said: "He was going to Russia yesterday and we heard a blast reported on the radio and thought 'Oh no, he could be involved'.

"We tried to phone his mobile phone and could not get an answer. Normally when he visits a place he is pretty good at phoning to say he has arrived. As the evening went on, we heard nothing from him and began to fear the worst.

"Late last night we passed information to the Foreign Office as we thought he was missing and his company were doing the same thing and they couldn't contact him. We received word last night about it."

Mr Cousland, who was due to marry his fiancee in April, was born in Sleaford, the youngest of five children. The rest of his family are from Scotland.

He worked in the London office of marketing, data analysis and IT company CACI as a consultant.

Firm spokesman Ian Thurman said Mr Cousland had put in an "amazing amount of effort" to open up the Eastern European property market and would be sadly missed.

A London-based management consultant, who was travelling with his girlfriend, was also named as another of the victims by a colleague.

Russian nationals Kirill Bodrashov, 38, and Elvira Muratova, 40, who have a young son, were on a business trip for executive search firm New Millennium Group when the terrorist hit.

Ms Muratova was wounded and is in intensive care in hospital.

Nikki Wetherill, chief operating officer of the company and a personal friend, said: "Elvira has shrapnel wounds but tragically and really sadly, Kirill died from his injuries yesterday afternoon.

"We have had so many messages of condolence. He was one of the nicest, kindest, funniest people I have ever met. We are going to miss him terribly.

"Hopefully Elvira will make a full recovery."

Mr Bodrashov was born in Russia and grew up in Hungary before moving to the UK.

He had been working as head of emerging markets at New Millennium Group for a year, having previously worked as an investment banker.

The pair shared a home in Queen's Gate, Kensington, and had been on the British Airways flight from London to Moscow that landed shortly before the bombing. They had celebrated the first birthday of Alexander, their only child, last month.

Russian television reports suggested Monday's bomber was carrying a suitcase and shouted "I'll kill you all!" before detonating the device in the busy arrivals hall at about 4.30pm local time.

Two flights from Heathrow had arrived at the airport shortly before the explosion and one British Airways plane en route to Moscow was turned back towards the UK.

British travellers described how the blast ripped through the terminal.

Jeremy Spencer, who was on a BA flight which landed around 45 minutes before the fatal blast, was less than 100 metres away from the explosion.

Recalling the moment the device detonated, he said: "There was a very loud boom that shook the floor and ceiling and then there was dust falling down from the ceiling."

Mr Putin told a meeting of ministers in Moscow. "This was an abominable crime in both its senselessness and its cruelty,"

"I do not doubt that this crime will be solved and that retribution is inevitable. The task of the government is to extend support to the families of the dead and injured."

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev described security at the airport as being in "a state of anarchy" and said management there must bear key responsibility for security failures. He also said government security officials would be held accountable for any lapses found.

Airport management hit back, saying transport police were responsible for people coming into the international arrivals area, where the bombing took place.

The finger-pointing could undermine confidence in Russia's security. The attack also called into question Russia's ability to safely host major international events like the 2014 Winter Olympics and the 2018 World Cup.

Mr Putin rose to power largely on his tough stance against terror and vows that Chechen rebels would be hunted down and killed.