No evidence presented

Moscow: Kiev behind concert hall attack

The head of the Russian domestic intelligence service FSB, Alexander Bortnikov, accuses the Ukrainian military intelligence service of being directly involved in the deadly attack on a concert hall near Moscow in March. More than 140 people were killed at the time.

This can already be said with certainty, even if the investigation is still ongoing, the state news agency TASS quoted Bortnikov as saying on Friday. Russia has already made such accusations several times.

Bortnikov also provided no evidence, but at the same time accused NATO of facilitating the transfer of "mercenaries and militant members of international terrorist organizations from the Middle East, North Africa and Afghanistan to Ukraine" so that they could fight against Russian forces there.

IS claimed responsibility for the attack
The radical Islamic terrorist militia Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack on the concert hall. US officials have also stated that they have intelligence that an Afghan branch of IS is responsible for the attack. Ukraine has repeatedly denied having anything to do with the attack.