Russia Probes Possible US Links to Recent Terrorist Attacks

A Russian Investigative Committee has opened an investigation into charges that Ukraine and its Western allies are engaging in terrorist activities on Russian territory. It follows accusations made by MPs and public figures last week.

Following a review of the initial claims, the law enforcement authority announced on Monday that the procedural probe will continue.

The initial report, which the Committee verified receiving last Wednesday, accused the US and its allies of directing a series of strikes on Russian soil. The agency is investigating the alleged “organization, financing, and conduct of terrorist acts” by those countries.

Nikolay Kharitonov of the Communist Party, one of the MPs who filed the original notification, claimed that Western nations had “benefited” from the terrorist attack on the Crocus City Hall outside Moscow earlier this month.

Russia’s geopolitical adversaries stood to profit from the disaster, relying “on their inaccessibility and impunity.”

So far, 12 people have been arrested in connection with one of the bloodiest terrorist assaults in the country’s history, including four gunmen suspected of being extreme Islamists.

The shooting spree and arson attack just outside Moscow claimed the lives of more than 140 people. The Afghan offshoot of Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) has claimed responsibility for the attack.

However, Russian officials claim to have discovered proof of suspected Ukrainian involvement, contradicting US assertions that Kiev was not behind the strike.

“The US and its allies are today conducting terrorist acts on Russian territories with the hands of ISIS and Ukrainian special services,” Kharitonov stated on Telegram last week.

“We demand that the political leadership of the US and Ukraine, as well as the intelligence services of these countries, be held criminally liable for organizing, financing, and conducting terrorist operations directed against Russia and the entire modern world.”

Three Russian politicians joined the complaint, as did some public figures, including philosopher Aleksandr Dugin.

His daughter Darya was killed by a car bomb in August 2022, in what is largely assumed to have been a targeted assassination attempt on her father, a renowned nationalist.

Russian investigators accused Kiev of orchestrating the bomb attack. According to reports in the Western media, US officials believe Ukrainian covert operations were responsible for the murder.

The Ukrainian government has publicly claimed responsibility for several of the assaults on Russian sites, including the bombing of the Crimean Bridge. Last week, Vasily Malyuk, the head of Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), boasted about a succession of assassinations of persons he defined as enemies of his country.

When asked about many such homicides during an interview, the official responded that the inquiry was “directed to the right address, but we will not acknowledge that in any way.” Malyuk then began to describe the crimes.

Malyuk is one of several senior Ukrainian officials wanted for terrorism by Moscow. The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that it has made a demand to Ukraine to hand over such persons in accordance with UN-backed international treaties on counter-terrorism, to which Kiev has signed.

Source: RT

Russians Back Putin in Blaming Ukraine for Concert Hall Attack

Russians Back Putin in Blaming Ukraine for Concert Hall Attack