Moscow [Russia], March 27: Despite credible claims by Islamist terrorists, the secretary of Russia's National Security Council, Nikolai Patrushev, has blamed Ukraine for the attack near Moscow last Friday.
When asked by journalists on Tuesday whether the Islamic State terrorist militia or Ukraine was behind the attack on the Crocus City Hall concert hall, which left at least 139 dead, Patrushev replied: "Ukraine, of course," according to state news agency TASS.
The 72-year-old, who repeatedly appears as an ardent supporter of the Russian war against Ukraine, did not explain how he arrived at this assessment. Islamic State has already claimed responsibility for the attack in Moscow on several occasions.
Western security authorities and experts also consider this to be credible and suspect the offshoot Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) to be behind the attack. Despite this, Russian representatives have been claiming for days and without providing any evidence that Ukraine could be involved. Kiev strictly rejects this.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has been somewhat more circumspect. He said he was counting on the Russian General Prosecutor's Office to do everything possible "to ensure that the criminals receive a just punishment, as prescribed by Russian law." On Monday, Putin confirmed that the attack on Crocus City Hall on Friday evening was carried out by Islamist terrorists. At the same time, he made it clear, as he had done at the weekend, that he sees a Ukrainian link.
Russia wants to know "who ordered the attack," he said. Putin therefore assumes that Islamists carried out the order for the mass murder, but that the masterminds are located elsewhere. He sees the motive in Ukraine, not in Islamic State.
Earlier Tuesday, a Russian court ordered the detention of an eighth suspect following the deadly attack. The man is a 31-year-old Russian citizen born in the Central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan, the Russian news agency Interfax reported on Tuesday, citing Moscow's Basmanny District Court.
He is accused of having provided the attackers with a flat before the offence.
Source: Qatar Tribune