The attack on a Moscow music venue that left at least 139 people dead has been attributed to ISIS, but Russia has placed the blame on Ukraine and its Western sponsors.
Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged that “radical Islamists” were responsible for the deadly assault, but he also claimed that the assailants had ties to Ukraine, according to the French news agency AFP.
The chief of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), Alexander Bortnikov, stated on Tuesday that although the identity of the individuals who gave the order for the attack was unknown, the attackers were on their way to Ukraine and would join them there. to have the status of “hero.”
“We suspect that this operation was prepared by extreme Islamists themselves but was assisted by the West and Ukrainian secret services,” Bortnikov was cited as saying by Russian news media.
Ukraine has strongly denied any accusations by Moscow that it was involved in the attack. A top aide to President Vladimir Zelensky said the Kremlin was trying to cover up the “incompetence” of its intelligence agencies.
Russia has expressed confidence in the country’s powerful security agencies, despite questions over how they failed to thwart the massacre after public and private warnings from the United States.Daesh militants have repeatedly claimed responsibility since Friday, and Daesh-affiliated media channels have also posted videos of the concert hall attackers.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that Paris had information that militants were responsible and warned Russia not to take advantage of the attack to blame Ukraine.
