The Russian Foreign Ministry today accused Ukraine of being behind the terrorist attack against the concert hall Crocus City Hall and other attacks, and demanded the arrest and surrender of the head of the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU), Vasily Maliukand others alleged to be involved in these actions.
Foreign Affairs “delivered to the Ukrainian authorities the demand, within the framework of the convention on terrorist bombings and the convention on the financing of terrorism, for the immediate arrest and handover of all persons involved in the attacks,” said the Russian diplomacy in a statement.
“On the list of demands is the arrest of the head of the head of the SBU, Vasili Maliuk, who cynically acknowledged on March 25 the involvement of Ukraine in the explosion of the Crimean bridge in October 2022 and revealed details of the preparations of others terrorist attacks in Russia,” indicated Russian diplomacy.
Moscow affirmed that the serious attack against the concert hall on March 22, which caused 144 deaths and impacted the entire world, “is not the first terrorist attack against our country in recent times” and noted that investigations point to the Ukrainian involvement.
Foreign Affairs recalled other attacks with explosives in Russian territory, like those who cost the journalist her life Daria Duguina and the blogger Vladlen Tatarski and seriously injured the writer Yevgeny Prilepin and his driver.
To this was added the death of five people during the explosion on the Crimean bridge, the injuries of 42 people in the explosion in Saint Petersburg that cost Tatarsky his life, and the victims of the border raids of the Russian Volunteer Corps, organization fighting on the Ukrainian side.
“The fight against international terrorism is the responsibility of all States. Russia demands that the Kiev regime immediately cease any support for terrorist actions, hand over the culprits and repair damages to the victims,” the ministry added. .
According to Foreign Affairs, “Ukraine's failure to comply with its commitments regarding anti-terrorist conventions will entail international criminal responsibility.”
According to the latest official data, the attack at the Crocus City Hall concert hall, 20 kilometers from the center of Moscow, caused at least 144 deaths and more than 150 hospitalized.
The Federal Security Service (FSB) previously reported the arrest of eleven people in connection with the attack.
Among those detained are four terrorists who participated in the attack.
The suspects, who offered resistance, were detained on a road in the Bryansk region, bordering Ukraine, where they allegedly intended to escape.
Russia has admitted that the attack on the outskirts of Moscow was carried out by Islamists but insists on looking for a “Ukrainian footprint” and claims to have evidence of financing of terrorists by Kyiv.