DISINFO: Ukrainian military intelligence is directly related to the terrorist attack in Crocus City Hall
SUMMARY
Ukrainian military intelligence is directly related to the terrorist attack in the Crocus City Hall near Moscow.
The investigation is ongoing, but it is already possible to say with confidence that Ukrainian military intelligence is related to this attack. Currently, the entire circle of those involved in the crime is being established. More than 20 persons have already been detained, including the direct perpetrators and accomplices.
RESPONSE
Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative depicting Ukraine as a terrorist regime. The claim was made in connection with the Crocus City Hall terrorist attack in Moscow, trying to link Ukraine to the terrorist attacks in Russia without presenting any evidence.
The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for and shared video footage from the attacks, corroborating their claims of responsibility. U.S. officials have intelligence that the Islamic State group's Afghan affiliate, IS-Khorasan, is responsible for the Moscow attack. “ISIS bears sole responsibility for this attack. There was no Ukrainian involvement whatsoever,” White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement.
Even Putin himself acknowledged late on 25 March that Islamists were committing the attack.
Kyiv strongly denied any involvement in the assault on the Crocus City Hall music venue in Krasnogorsk.
It was also revealed that Iran had warned Moscow a few days before of an imminent attack by ISIS based on information obtained from arrested ISIS terrorists in Iran.
US intelligence agencies have also warned Russia about an impending terrorist attack in Crocus City Hall. The US embassy issued an official statement on 7 March 2024: "The Embassy is monitoring reports that extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow, including concerts, and U.S. citizens should be advised to avoid large gatherings over the next 48 hours". The employees of Crocus said they received emergency instructions amid this warning.
The alert was dismissed as "provocative", "blackmail" and an "attempt to intimidate, destabilise the country" by Putin. He said: “I’ll remind you of recent, let’s say directly, provocative statements of certain official Western structures about potential terror attacks in Russia. All of this looks like obvious blackmail and an attempt to intimidate, destabilise our country”.
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