Russian servicemen of the Russian National Guard guard the territory of Crocus City Hall after the attack Photo: Alexander Avilov
Great Britain warned Vladimir Putin not to use a deadly terrorist attack in Moscow as a «pretext» to step up its war with Ukraine.
The Russian president used a speech on Saturday to accuse Kiev of trying to help four suspected militants escape after they opened fire on unsuspecting victims in a concert hall , resulting in the deaths of at least 130 people.
Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack soon after as Ukraine denied involvement. This assessment was supported by the United States, which several weeks ago warned of an imminent terrorist attack in Moscow.
On Saturday, IS published selfies of the men it said were involved, as well as details of how they planned and carried out the Crocus City Hall ambush.
However, the five-minute video announces the arrest of the criminals. Putin said: “They tried to hide and moved towards Ukraine, where a window had previously been prepared for them to cross the border.”
He also called the attackers “Nazis,” as it is often called in the Kremlin. used a code word for Ukrainians.
A senior Whitehall security source told the Telegraph: «Putin's desperation to pin this on Ukraine is not surprising as he tries to further deceive the Russian people while pretending there is no dissent within Russia.»
«He shouldn't use this flimsy connection as some kind of pretext to escalate the illegal war in Ukraine.»
Alicia Kearns, the Conservative chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said: «Russian media channels are already distributing fake videos of Ukrainian officials in an attempt to blame Ukraine and give Putin some protection for the war crimes he is committing in Ukraine or worse. a pretext for further atrocities.
“There is no indication of any connection with Ukraine or any compelling reason to assume their involvement.”
Donald Tusk, Prime Minister of Poland, repeated this and expressed the hope that “this terrible tragedy will not be whom as a pretext for the escalation of violence and aggression.”
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry stated that they fear that the charges are aimed at “stimulating anti-Ukrainian hysteria in Russian society, creating conditions for increasing the mobilization of Russian citizens to participate in criminal aggression against the state.”
A woman mourns at the Crocus City Hall concert venue after an attack in Krasnogorsk near Moscow Photo: MAXIM SHIPENKOV
U.S. officials have privately expressed concern about unsubstantiated claims of Ukrainian involvement, suggesting that blaming Kiev for the attack could be a way for Moscow to justify further escalation or entice more Russian recruits to go to the front lines.
Washington, Columbia region. Public statements have so far gone no further than expressing condolences and strongly condemning the attack.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said: “The United States strongly condemns the heinous terrorist attack in Moscow. We extend our deepest sympathies to those who have lost loved ones and to those who have been injured or harmed as a result of these unconscionable attacks on innocent civilians. ISIS is a common terrorist enemy that must be defeated everywhere.”
However, U.S. officials were quick to confirm IS' claim of responsibility for the massacre, perhaps to serve as an early counter to Russian claims that Kyiv was involved.
U.S. intelligence gathered earlier in March found that Islamic State-Khorasan, known as ISIS-K, an affiliate of the group based in Afghanistan, was planning an attack on Moscow, officials said.
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