At least 5,000 Russians marched through Moscow on Sunday to protest against plans to lay off thousands of doctors and close hospitals in the capital amid a flagging economy.

Moscow health officials today confirmed that two victims of last week’s hostage crisis died of gunshot wounds, and that the rest were killed by a noxious gas used by Russian special forces.

Stunned Russians mourned the victims of the theatre hostage tragedy today, shocked that nearly all the 118 captives who died were killed by gas used to knock out their assailants - but relieved that hundreds of others were saved.