Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin has pledged to track down and punish those behind the shooting massacre in a concert hall near Moscow.
Militant Islamist group Islamic State had claimed responsibility for the rampage that happened on Friday but there were indications that Russia was pursuing a Ukrainian link, despite emphatic denials from Ukrainian officials that Kyiv had anything to do with it.
In a televised address, Putin cast the enemy as “international terrorism” and said he was ready to work with any state that wanted to defeat it.
“They tried to hide and moved towards Ukraine, where, according to preliminary data, a window was prepared for them on the Ukrainian side to cross the state border.
“All the perpetrators, organisers and those who ordered this crime will be justly and inevitably punished. Whoever they are, whoever is guiding them.
“We will identify and punish everyone who stands behind the terrorists, who prepared this atrocity, this strike against Russia, against our people.” Putin said
Russia’s FSB security service said the gunmen had contacts in Ukraine and were captured near the border. It said they were being transferred to Moscow.
However, neither Putin nor the FSB publicly presented any proof of a link with Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said it was expected of Putin and other thugs to seek to divert blame.
Ukrainian military intelligence spokesperson Andriy Yusov told Reuters: “Ukraine was of course not involved in this terror attack.
Ukraine is defending its sovereignty from Russian invaders, liberating its own territory and is fighting with the occupiers’ army and military targets, not civilians.”
The Kremlin said Putin had held conversations with the leaders of Belarus, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan in which all sides affirmed their willingness to work together to fight terrorism.
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