Russian security director accuses Ukrainian and Western secret services of facilitating Moscow attack

The director of the FSB, Alexander Bortnikov, accused, Tuesday March 26, Ukrainian and Western secret services of having facilitated the attack in Moscow which left 139 dead, claimed by the jihadist group Islamic State. “We believe that the action was prepared both by radical Islamists themselves and, of course, facilitated by Western intelligence and that Ukrainian intelligence itself is directly involved,” assured this close friend of Vladimir Putin, quoted by the Ria Novosti press agency.

The head of the Russian security services however assured that “the sponsor” did not have “not yet identified.” Responding to the question of whether Ukraine, the United States and the United Kingdom had orchestrated the attack, he replied: “I think that’s the case. It’s general information but there are some elements already.” According to him, the suspects “intended to surrender” in Ukraine and “they should have been welcomed as heroes on that side”. However, he did not provide evidence to support his remarks.

Earlier this morning, the powerful secretary of the Russian Security Council, Nikolai Patrushev, had claimed to Russian media that Ukraine had orchestrated the attack on Crocus City Hall. The Russian President, Vladimir Putin admitted on Monday for the first time that the attack had been committed by “radical Islamists”, while continuing to imply a link with Ukraine. kyiv and the West have vigorously denied any relationship between the Ukrainian authorities and the perpetrators of this attack.