Russia arrested 3 more terrorist suspects, President Putin warned Ukraine
Russia has arrested three more suspects believed to be involved in a terrorist attack that left 139 people dead in Moscow.
Moscow's Basmanny District Court on March 25 approved an arrest warrant for three more suspects believed to be involved in the terrorist attack at the Crocus City theater on March 22, which left at least 139 people dead, nearly 150 more. injured person. The suspects will be detained until at least May 22.
According to the Russian Investigative Committee, the three latest suspects arrested include Ainchon Islomov, Dilovar Islomov and Isroil Islomov. Isroil Islomov, 62 years old, is the father of the remaining two suspects. All were accused of being involved in "organizing terrorist activities".
In a court filing, investigators said Shamsidin Fariduni, one of the gunmen responsible for the theater attack, is believed to have recruited Ainchon Islomov in January to participate in terrorist activities. According to investigators, before March 11, Shamsidin Fariduni is believed to have recruited Dilovar Islomov.
According to Russian media, Dilovar Islomov is believed to be the last owner of the white Renault, which was used by the group of suspects as a getaway vehicle in the attack plan. Previously, on March 24, the Basmanny district court convened to hear the request of prosecutors about four suspects in the terrorist attack at the Crocus City theater.
The suspects include: Dalerdzhon Mirzoyev (32 years old), Saidakrami Rachabalizoda (30 years old), Shamsidin Fariduni (25 years old) and Muhammadsobir Fayzov (19 years old). All are Tajik citizens. According to Tass news agency, 3 out of 4 suspects admitted to the crimes. If convicted, the suspects could receive life sentences.
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on March 23 that it had arrested 11 suspects related to the terrorist attack, including 4 suspects who directly participated in the attack.
According to Russian authorities, after the attack, the suspects got into a white car to escape. Security forces in the Bryansk region, western Russia, discovered and stopped this vehicle overnight, near the Ukrainian border, about 340km from Moscow.
The FSB added that the suspects intended to cross the border into Ukraine and had "contacts from the Ukrainian side". Russia released a video showing one of the suspects claiming he was hired to carry out the attack.
Moscow continues to suspect and find a connection between Ukraine and the terrorist attack. Meanwhile, a group calling itself the Islamic State of Khorasan (ISIS-K) claimed responsibility for the incident.
The US and European Union (EU) quickly asserted that Ukraine was not involved in the attack and that ISIS-K, a group believed to operate in Afghanistan and Central Asia, was the sole culpri
President Putin spoke about the attack
Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 25 confirmed that the terrorist attack in Moscow was carried out by Muslim extremists. "We know that the crime was committed by the hands of radical Muslims, whose ideology the Muslim world itself has been fighting for centuries," Putin said.
President Putin added that, through various channels, the US is trying to convince that there is no trace that Ukraine was involved in the attack. However, according to Mr. Putin, this is a clear attempt to threaten Russia and serve the interests of the Ukrainian government.
"We know who carried out the attack at Crocus City Hall. We are interested in who ordered the attack… Despite the pain, motivated by the desire to punish the terrorists, The investigation must be conducted objectively and without bias," the Russian leader emphasized in a conversation with officials about security measures taken after the terrorist attack.
According to Mr. Putin, "we also need to answer the question of why terrorists tried to move to Ukraine after committing a crime and who was waiting for them there." "The terrible crime that occurred on March 22 in the Russian capital was an act of intimidation... and the immediate question that arises is: Who benefits from it? This terrible act can only be a link in a series of efforts by those who have committed aggression against our country since 2014 at the hands of the authorities in Kiev," Mr. Putin added.
Previously, President Putin said that Ukraine had opened the way for terrorists to cross the border from Russia into Ukraine. Mr. Putin said the suspects directly involved in the attack were arrested while trying to flee to Ukraine.
Ukraine has so far denied any connection to the attack, and accused Moscow of looking for an excuse to escalate the conflict. Spokesperson of the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence Agency Andrii Yusov rejected the information provided by Russia, affirming that Kiev was "not involved" in the attack in Moscow.
