MOSCOW attack:On Tuesday, the head of Russia’s top security agency said that he thinks Ukraine, as well as the United States and Britain, had a hand in the attack on a concert hall near Moscow. This tragic event resulted in the loss of at least 139 lives.
Ukraine firmly denies any involvement in Friday’s attack, dismissing Russia’s accusations as blatant lies. Britain echoed this sentiment, calling the accusations “utter nonsense.”
Alexander Bortnikov, the director of the Federal Security Service (FSB), suggested on television that Islamist radicals, potentially aided by Western intelligence agencies, were behind the attack.
He went further, implying direct involvement of Ukrainian special services, alleging they had assisted in radicalizing individuals in the Middle East.
When questioned by Russian journalists about the involvement of Ukraine, the United States, and Britain in the concert hall attack, Bortnikov stated that they believed this to be the case, although he provided no concrete evidence, only stating it as general information.
Bortnikov, who has been in charge of the FSB since 2008, admitted that they hadn’t identified the specific orchestrators of the attack yet but vowed retaliatory measures. However, he failed to present any evidence to support these claims, leaving room for speculation, especially among hardliners in Moscow who might seek to use this narrative to justify further escalation in Ukraine.
Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior aide to the Ukrainian president, dismissed the Russian allegations as nothing more than lies, specifically calling out Bortnikov and his predecessor, Patrushev.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron also weighed in, labeling Russia’s assertions as baseless nonsense. These statements by Russian officials provide a glimpse into the hawkish stance prevailing within the Kremlin elite.