The Crocus City Hall attack left at least 144 dead on March 22. Moscow had until now pointed the responsibility to Ukraine.
Russia on Friday for the first time clearly attributed responsibility to the Islamic State (IS) organization in the Crocus City Hall attack, which left at least 144 dead on March 22, and in which Moscow had pointed out the responsibility of Ukraine.
“During the investigation… it was established that the preparations, financing, attack and withdrawal of the terrorists were coordinated via the internet by members of the group Khorasan Province »the Afghan branch of IS, declared the director of the Russian security services (FSB), Alexander Bortnikov, quoted by the RIA Novosti agency.
On March 22, gunmen opened fire at Crocus City Hall, a concert hall on the northwest outskirts of the Russian capital, before setting it on fire. This attack left at least 144 dead and 360 injured, the worst attack committed in Russia since 2004.
Ukrainian intelligence remains questionable
More than 20 people have since been arrested, including the four suspected attackers, all from Tajikistan, a former Soviet republic in Central Asia neighboring Afghanistan. Although the attack was quickly claimed by the jihadist organization Islamic State, Russian authorities continued to see the hand of Ukraine. kyiv has always categorically rejected any involvement.
At the end of March, Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted that the attack had been committed by “radical Islamists”, but continued to imply that kyiv was the sponsor. If he attributed coordination of the attack to ISIS on Friday, Mr. Bortnikov once again pointed out the presumed role of Ukrainian intelligence. “The investigation continues, but we can already say with certainty that Ukrainian military intelligence is directly involved in the attack”he said.