The director of Russia’s FSB security agency, Alexander Bortnikov, alleged that attackers who launched a deadly assault on a Moscow concert hall last week received assistance from Western and Ukrainian intelligence services.
The assertion from the FSB director comes despite Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recognition of “radical Islamists” as the perpetrators of the attack that left many dead.
Russia persists in implicating Ukraine in the tragic incident, with Bortnikov claiming, “We believe the radical Islamists themselves prepared the action and supported by Western special services, with Ukraine’s special services directly linked to this,” as reported by Russian media outlets.
Furthermore, the FSB head reiterated Moscow’s contentious claim that the assailants attempted to escape across the Ukrainian border—a statement Kyiv has dismissed as ludicrous. Bortnikov hinted at a supposed warm welcome the attackers would have received in Ukraine, though he offered no evidence to support these allegations.
While stating Russia’s awareness of the attack’s organizers, Bortnikov noted that the mastermind behind the plot remains unidentified. Ukraine has strongly refuted any involvement in the incident.
The Islamic State has taken responsibility for the attack multiple times since Friday, with affiliated media channels releasing explicit footage of the gunmen inside the concert hall.
