100 People Still Missing in Moscow Concert Hall Attack
- Sergei Vedyashkin - Associated Press
“We believe that the action was prepared by both the Islamist radicals themselves and was facilitated by western special services,” said Alexander Bortnikov, the director of the Federal Security Service (FSB).
“The special services of Ukraine are directly related to this.
He claimed that Kyiv had helped prepare the militants at an unidentified location in the Middle East.
When asked by Russian reporters whether Ukraine and its allies, the US and Britain, were involved, Bortnikov said: “We think that’s the case.”
His words were echoed by Nikolai Patrushev, the secretary of the security council of Russia and a close ally of Putin, who told journalists that Ukraine was “of course” behind the attack.
Despite blaming the west, Bortnikov admitted that the US earlier this month had passed on information to Russia about a possible terrorist attack being prepared in the country.
“The information (relayed by the US) about the preparation of terrorist acts in places of mass gathering of citizens was of a general nature; we reacted to this information,” he remarked.
More Moscow–Bali Flights Coming: Tourism and Economy Set to Benefit
Indonesia has welcomed Russia's full support for the resumption and expansion of direct flights between Moscow and Denpasar, Bali, operated by Russian airline Aeroflot.
