Russian Director Accuses Three Countries of Being Masterminds Behind Recent Terrorist Attack

Claims suspects fled to Ukraine after the incident

On the 22nd, a terrorist attack occurred at the Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk, northwest of Moscow, Russia, resulting in 137 deaths. As citizens of Russia and the world mourn the victims, the Russian government has sparked controversy by pointing to three countries as the culprits behind the attack.

Three days after the attack, on the 26th (local time), Alexander Bortnikov, director of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), met with reporters after an expanded meeting with the Russian Federal Prosecutor’s Office.

When asked by Russian reporters if Ukraine and its allies, the United States and the United Kingdom, were involved in the attack on the concert hall, Director Bortnikov said: “We think that’s the case.”

Russia has previously arrested four key suspects known to be members of the Islamic extremist armed group ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K). Although the Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement after the terror, Russia has raised suspicions about the involvement of the three countries.

According to Russia’s claim, Western intelligence agencies such as the U.S. and the U.K. assisted, and Ukraine was directly involved. They state that Ukraine trained armed forces in the Middle East and that traces of Ukraine were found in the early stages of the terrorist investigation.

In response to a question about whether the IS or Ukraine was behind the attack, Nikolai Patrushev, Russia’s Security Council Secretary, replied, “Of course, Ukraine.”

However, no clear evidence of Ukraine’s involvement or information about the person who ordered the terrorist attack has been made public yet.

Director Bortnikov emphasized that the terrorists were heading to Ukraine after the incident.

He further suggested that Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) should be classified as a terrorist organization and hinted that Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) of the Ministry of Defense, could become a legitimate target for Russian forces.

However, Aleksandr Lukashenko, the president of neighboring Belarus, refuted Bortnikov’s claim.

He said, “The terrorists attempted to enter Belarus but turned back towards the Ukrainian border when they saw the security forces.”

As Lukashenko, a close friend of Russian President Putin, takes a stance against Russia, all eyes are on how the relationship between Russia and Belarus will change.

Meanwhile, eight terror suspects are currently in pretrial detention.

When four of the suspects appeared in court, they showed signs of physical injury, raising suspicions of torture.

Their faces were severely swollen or distorted, with one individual even having part of their ear cut off.

Video footage showing them being tortured with electric shocks and hammers by Russian soldiers and FSB agents was released.

In response, the Russian Human Rights Committee said, “Torture of detainees is unacceptable” and “all procedures and measures must be carried out according to the law.”