ISW explains why Russia accuses Ukraine and NATO of terrorism

This is reported by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

The head of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), Alexandr Bortnikov, "amplified the baseless and boilerplate Kremlin narrative" by accusing Ukraine and NATO of organizing terrorist attacks against Russia.

During a meeting of the Russian National Anti-Terrorism Committee on June 11, Bortnikov claimed that Ukraine, supported by the U.S. and NATO, is "increasing efforts to commit terrorist attacks and sabotage on Russian territory." He also accused Ukraine and NATO of involvement in the Crocus City terrorist attack.

ISW analysts stated that the attack was carried out by the Afghan branch of the Islamic State, and there is no evidence linking Ukraine to any such actions.

Terrorist attack in Moscow’s Crocus City Hall 

In Krasnogorsk, Moscow region, a shooting took place at the Crocus City Hall concert venue before the start of the Picnic band's performance. Over 130 people have been reported dead as well as many wounded. The FSB says it has allegedly detained the suspects.

Starting on March 7, American diplomats warned of the threat of terrorist attacks in the Russian capital, Moscow. Subsequently, similar statements were made by representatives of several other Western countries.

Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate is convinced that the shooting at the Crocus shopping center in Moscow is a deliberate provocation by the Putin regime, and the Foreign Ministry said the world should strongly reject Russia's false accusations of Ukraine's alleged involvement. The White House also rejected Ukraine's involvement. 

On March 23, Vladimir Putin made an address on the terrorist attack. According to the Russian dictator, Ukraine was "preparing a window" to allow terrorists who had staged a terrorist attack in Moscow to escape. 

On March 25, at a meeting with security officials, Putin admitted that "radical Islamists" had carried out the attack, but blamed the shooting on "those who are fighting Russia with the hands of the Kyiv regime."

The Secretary of the Russian Security Council, the Director of the FSB, and the spokesperson for the Russian President repeated Putin's version of the "Ukrainian trace" and the involvement of Western intelligence services in the terrorist attack in Moscow. At the same time, self-proclaimed President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko denied that the alleged perpetrators of the terrorist attack were trying to escape to Ukraine.

The Center for Countering Disinformation doubts that the Crocus attack could have been carried out by the perpetrators identified by the Russian authorities.

The US National Security Council (NSC) on Sunday, March 24, unequivocally rejected Russia's attempts to accuse Ukraine of organizing the terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall shopping mall near Moscow.

On April 10, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation stated that the Ukrainian oil and gas company Burisma Holdings was allegedly involved in the terrorist attack in Crocus City Hall.