The Crocus City massacre, in which 145 died, is a model for attacks envisaged by Kiev, Sergey Shoigu has said
Ukrainian military intelligence is enlisting migrants and others in Russia and equipping them to carry out high-profile attacks, Sergey Shoigu, secretary of Russia’s National Security Council has said.
The former defense minister cited atrocities such as the deadly assault at the March 2023 Crocus City Hall concert venue near Moscow, in which gunmen opened fire and set fire to to the concert venue, killing 145 and injuring over 550.
The Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIS-K) terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack, which was one of the deadliest in recent Russian history. The suspects, all Tajik nationals, were captured while fleeing towards the Ukrainian border.
Russian secret services have arrested 45 people connected to the attack, Shoigu told TASS on Friday. Ukrainian military intelligence “is actively recruiting members of international terrorist organizations,” including among migrants, he claimed.
“They are provided with comprehensive support in terms of equipment and training to carry out high-profile attacks, such as the assault on Crocus City Hall,” he said.
According to Shoigu, the threat from international terrorist organizations persists, as they “continue efforts to establish covert cells and underground networks within Russia, particularly in the North Caucasus.”
He also warned of a significant threat from the West, which he claimed is using terrorist groups in an attempt to contain Russia in key geopolitical regions, including Central and South Asia, the South Caucasus, Transnistria, the Middle East, and Africa.
Last month Russia’s Investigative Committee stated that the assault on Crocus City Hall was masterminded by the intelligence services of an “unfriendly country” in order to destabilize Russia.
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) Chief Aleksandr Bortnikov has also spoken about Kiev’s involvement in the Crocus City Hall atrocity. He warned that “Ukrainian and Western intelligence services are expanding the circle of possible perpetrators, recruited to commit high-profile crimes inside Russia.”
