Top Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, continue to make baseless claims that Ukraine, as well as its Western allies, were involved in a deadly terrorist attack in Moscow last Friday.
The head of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) on Tuesday said that the U.S., U.K. and Ukraine were behind the attack in which 139 people died.
FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov told pro-Kremlin journalist Pavel Zarubin that the attack was beneficial to Western intelligence services and Ukraine in their bid to destabilize Russia. He did not present evidence to back up his claim.
The Islamic State militant group said it was behind the attack. Ukraine, meanwhile, has repeatedly and vehemently denied any involvement. The White House has said Russian claims of Ukrainian involvement were “Kremlin propaganda.” The U.K., U.S. and Ukraine have not commented on Bortnikov’s latest claims.
On Monday, President Vladimir Putin conceded that the deadly terrorist attack in Moscow last Friday was carried out by “radical Islamists” but insisted that there was a link to Ukraine, without presenting evidence.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday dismissed the secretary of the country’s security council, Oleksiy Danilov, according to a Google-translated decree published on the government website.
Danilov has held the position since October 2019. His position will now be held by Oleksandr Lytvynenko, who served as the head of the Ukrainian foreign intelligence service.
No reason was given for the decision, which comes shortly after Zelenskyy replaced the head of the armed forces in a key military shake up.
— Sophie Kiderlin
Almost 140 people were killed in the Crocus City Hall concert hall, when gunmen entered the venue and opened fire, as well as set fire to the venue. The Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility, but Russia was quick to connect Ukraine to the outrage, without presenting evidence.
Since then, Russian President Vladimir Putin has accepted that the attack was carried out by so-called “radical Islamists,” but continued to claim Ukraine was linked to the attack.
Bortnikov reiterated Russia’s claim that the attackers were caught, as they tried to flee toward Ukraine, where, he said, they were expected and were going to be greeted “as heroes.”
“The bandits intended to go abroad. Precisely to the territory of Ukraine. According to our preliminary operational information, they were expected there,” he told Zarubin, in an interview posted in Russian on his Telegram channel.
— Holly Ellyatt
Russian intelligence chief claims U.S., U.K. and Ukraine behind Moscow attacks
The head of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) on Tuesday said that the U.S., U.K. and Ukraine were behind a deadly terrorist attack in Moscow last week.
FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov told pro-Kremlin journalist Pavel Zarubin claimed that the U.S., U.K. and Ukraine were responsible for the attack, claiming that the attack was beneficial to Western intelligence services and Ukraine to destabilize Russia.
“We believe that the action was prepared by the radical Islamists themselves, and naturally the Western intelligence services contributed to this, and the Ukrainian intelligence services themselves are directly related to this,” Bortnikov said, RIA Novosti reported.
Ukraine has already vehemently denied any involvement in the attack and the White House has said Russian claims to the contrary are “Kremlin propaganda.” The U.K., U.S. and Ukraine have not commented on Bortnikov’s latest claims. Read more
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