Putin blamed 'radical Islamists' for the attack in Moscow

Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time blamed "extremist Islamists" for last Friday's deadly attack in Moscow. He also indicated that Ukraine was somehow involved in this attack.

Authorities arrested 11 people suspected of involvement in the attack by masked gunmen on concertgoers at the Crocus City Hall. The roof of the hall also collapsed due to the fire of the attackers.

In a meeting on Monday, President Vladimir Putin said, "We know that the crime was committed by radical Islamists, against whose ideals the Islamic world itself has been fighting for centuries."

Putin alleged, "This atrocity may have been part of an overall effort by the neo-Nazi Kiev rulers who have been fighting our country since 2014. Noting that Russia seized the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in 2014, it is part of its mainland. Connects with.

Questioning why the terrorists attacked the concert and tried to flee to Ukraine, Putin said, "It is definitely important to find out the answer to this question."

In his speech, Putin made no mention of the involvement of ISIL's (ISIS) affiliate, IS-K, in the attack; However, the terrorist organization has released videos claiming responsibility for the attack several times.

After ISIS claimed responsibility, US intelligence backed their confessions as accurate. French President Emmanuel Macron, an ally of the country, said his country's intelligence information also pointed to an ISIL affiliate being involved in the attack.

Yesterday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to make specific accusations before Putin made his latest remarks. He requested the journalists to wait until the results of the investigation into the attack.

A Kremlin spokesman also declined to comment on reports that the United States had alerted Russian authorities to Friday's attack on March 7. He said, any such intelligence information is confidential.

Four suspects arrested in connection with the attack were formally charged in a Moscow court on Sunday night. All four were produced in court. Apparently, they looked injured at that time due to severe beating.

Civil rights groups said the condition of the four men underscored Russia's poor human rights record under Putin.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said the incident is under investigation. But he promised to punish the criminals. Said, "They will not be forgiven."