Moscow attack | Russia assures that the attackers are linked to “Ukrainian nationalists”

(Moscow) Russian investigators assured Thursday that the perpetrators of the attack in the suburbs of Moscow which left 143 dead had “links with Ukrainian nationalists” and had received “large” sums of money from ‘Ukraine.

This attack, which took place Friday evening at Crocus City Hall, was claimed by the jihadist organization Islamic State but Russian officials have insisted for several days on a Ukrainian trail. Kyiv, for its part, denies any involvement in this killing.

“Work with the detained terrorists, examination of technical devices seized from them and analysis of information on financial transactions made it possible to obtain evidence of their links with Ukrainian nationalists,” the Committee said on Telegram. Russian investigation.

According to this body responsible for the main criminal investigations, the four attackers received “large sums of money and cryptocurrencies from Ukraine, which were used in the preparation of this crime”.

Investigators also announced the arrest of a new suspect, accused of having participated in the “financing” of the attack.

Authorities previously reported the arrest of 11 people, including the four suspected attackers. Eight were charged and remanded in custody.

On Friday, armed men attacked a concert hall in the suburbs of the Russian capital, opening fire on spectators and causing a huge fire. This attack, the deadliest in the last twenty years in Russia, left at least 143 dead and 360 injured, including children.

According to President Vladimir Putin, the four attackers were arrested in Russia’s Bryansk region while trying to flee to Ukraine, where a “window” allowing them to cross the border had been prepared on the Ukrainian side.

The director of the Russian security services (FSB), Alexander Bortnikov, assured that the Ukrainian and Western secret services had “facilitated” the attack.

Ukraine vigorously denies any involvement in this massacre, accusing Moscow of wanting to “shift the blame” onto Kyiv. The United States said it warned Russia in March that a terrorist attack was likely to target large gatherings in Moscow.

Putin does not plan to meet victims’ families

Russian President Vladimir Putin has no immediate plans to meet the families of the victims of the Crocus City Hall attack in Moscow.

“If contacts are necessary, we will inform you,” replied the president’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, when asked by journalists whether Mr. Putin planned to meet the victims’ relatives.

According to Mr. Peskov, Vladimir Putin also did not go to the scene so as not to “interfere with the work” of the rescuers.

“As for the families and loved ones of the victims, very close work was organized with them by all the services and specialists concerned (…) All this was done as quickly as possible. This work continues,” Mr. Peskov said.