Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova expressed skepticism on Wednesday regarding the capability of Daesh to orchestrate the attack on a Moscow concert hall last Friday, resulting in the deaths of at least 140 individuals.
During a briefing with reporters, Zakharova reiterated Moscow’s claims, that Ukraine was responsible for the attack on the Crocus City Hall, marking Russia’s deadliest incident in two decades.
Despite Daesh claiming responsibility for the massacre and US officials presenting intelligence indicating involvement by the group’s Afghan branch, Daesh-Khorasan, Ukraine has consistently denied any connection to the attack.
Zakharova accused the West of hastily attributing blame to Daesh to deflect responsibility from Ukraine and its Western backers. She suggested that, in order to appease suspicions from the Western bloc, Daesh was conveniently implicated, with the Anglo-Saxon media swiftly disseminating these narratives mere hours after the terrorist attack.
While President Vladimir Putin acknowledged the involvement of Islamist militants in the attack, he insinuated that it served Ukraine’s interests and suggested Kyiv’s potential involvement. Putin indicated that individuals from the Ukrainian side facilitated the gunmen’s escape across the border before their apprehension in western Russia.
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko added to the narrative, stating that the gunmen initially attempted to enter Belarus but redirected towards Ukraine upon discovering the border crossings into Belarus were sealed.
The director of Russia’s FSB security agency implicated Ukraine, alongside the United States and Britain, in the Moscow attack. British Foreign Secretary David Cameron dismissed Russia’s assertions, labeling them as baseless.
