Moscow: In a startling development amid the investigation into the Crocus City Hall attack, the chief of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) Alexander Bortnikov, on Tuesday, made a significant allegation that the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine are behind the terrorist assault, TASS reported.
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– When asked whether the US, Britain and Ukraine were behind the terrorist attack Bortnikov said, “We believe that this is true. In any case, we are now talking about the factual information we have. This is general information, but they have a long record of this sort.”
– Bortnikov further said that Ukraine has been trying to prove it is ‘capable enough’. He pointed out that there was a large amount of information in the public space “showing that the West and Ukraine are out to cause greater harm to our country.”
– Notably, Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly been pointing towards an alleged Ukrainian connection in the terror attack.
– Earlier in a televised address President Putin said that, according to preliminary information, the Ukrainian side had prepared “a window” in the border especially for the terrorists to cross undetected.
– The Russian President vowed to identify and punish all those who were behind the attack.
– Meanwhile, the White House has repeatedly said that the terrorist attack at the concert hall in Moscow was carried out by ISIS at Crocus, and there is “no evidence” that the Ukrainian government had anything to do with this attack.
– On March 22, a terrorist attack targeted the Crocus City Hall music venue in Krasnogorsk, Moscow Region. The armed men opened fire and detonated explosives creating a massive euphoria and panic among the crowd.
– At least 139 people have been killed and 182 suffered injuries in the attack, according to TASS. The Islamic State (ISIS-K) had taken responsibility for the terror attack.
– 11 suspects linked to the terrorist attack, including four gunmen, have been captured in the Bryansk Region, southwest of Moscow, as they tried to flee across the nearby Ukrainian border.