‘Ukraine Behind Moscow Massacre’ Russia’s Putin Suggests (Worthy News Radio)
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
MOSCOW/KYIV (Worthy News) – Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested that Ukraine was involved in Friday’s shootings at a major concert hall near Moscow that killed at least 115 people, despite the Islamic State group, or ISIS, claiming responsibility for the massacre. His comments came while people gathered at a makeshift memorial, with memories still fresh about the bloodshed that unfolded here.
Crowds ducked for cover as gunmen attacked the Crocus City Hall near Moscow, video footage showed.
People tried to flee. But many didn’t survive. Children, teenagers, and women were among the over 100 people who were killed. Many more were injured, Russian officials said.
Hours later, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested that wartorn Ukraine was involved in the massacre, charges vehemently denied by Kyiv.
Putin told his nation that on the Ukrainian side, they “were preparing to receive” four men who staged the attack, adding that a “total of 11 people were detained.”
The four men he spoke about were reportedly detained in a border area as they headed towards Ukraine.
Kyiv was quick to say that the Russian account of events bore no relation to reality as the men approached “blocked border crossings where there is active fighting and where every meter is saturated with Russian security forces.”
ISLAMIC STATE
Putin’s accusations came despite the Islamic State group, or ISIS, claiming responsibility for Friday’s massacre.
The United States said it had shared intelligence with Russia on an imminent terrorism attack.
However, Russian state-run media reported as recently as March 19 that Putin dismissed these warnings as a Western provocation.
The attack happened three days later.
While Putin declared a day of mourning, people gathered in many public places across Russia and in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine, including at the location of the Crocus City Hall attack itself.
Tearful Russians were seen bringing flowers and children’s toys to a makeshift memorial after learning that children were among the many victims. And with many questions still unanswered, the pain of the tragedy was just setting in.
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