Russian spy chief says Ukraine was directly involved in Moscow concert hall attack

By REUTERS

Published: MAY 24, 2024 09:00

Updated: MAY 24, 2024 09:01

THE CROCUS City Hall building is gutted following the deadly attack on a concert venue there, outside Moscow, last month. (photo credit: EVGENIA NOVOZHENINA/REUTERS) — THE CROCUS City Hall building is gutted following the deadly attack on a concert venue there, outside Moscow, last month.

(photo credit: EVGENIA NOVOZHENINA/REUTERS)

Bortnikov, FSB chief, did not provide evidence to underpin his assertion.

Ukrainian military intelligence was directly involved in a deadly attack on a concert hall near Moscow in which over 140 people were killed, the head of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) Alexander Bortnikov said, TASS reported on Friday.

Russia has made such allegations before. Bortnikov did not provide evidence to underpin his assertion.

"The investigation is ongoing, but it is already safe to say that Ukrainian military intelligence is directly involved in this attack," the state news agency quoted Bortnikov as saying.

IS responsibility

He also accused the NATO military alliance of facilitating the transfer of "mercenaries and militants of international terrorist organizations from the Middle East, North Africa and Afghanistan" to Ukraine so that they could fight against Russian forces there.

Workers remove debris inside the burnt-out Crocus City Hall following last week's deadly attack on the concert venue outside Moscow. (credit: RUSSIAN EMERGENCIES MINISTRY/REUTERS)

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the concert hall massacre in March and U.S. officials said they had intelligence showing it was carried out by the network's Afghan branch, Islamic State Khorasan. Ukraine has repeatedly denied it had anything to do with the attack.

Bortnikov was cited by TASS as saying that Islamic State Khorasan had played a role in coordinating the attackers' actions and that Ukrainian military intelligence had also played a direct role.