US rejects Putin's accusations of involvement in terrorist attacks in Russia

This was stated on Wednesday, April 5, by the White House National Security Council's Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby in response to Putin's accusations that "Western intelligence services" were involved in "terrorist attacks" in Russia, CNN reports.

During a meeting of Russia's Security Council on Wednesday, Putin claimed without evidence that "terrorist attacks are regularly carried out against government officials and law enforcement agencies, journalists, public figures, school and university teachers. … Moreover, neo-Nazis and their accomplices operate not only on the territory of the new subjects of the Federation, but also commit crimes in other regions."

"There is reason to believe that the potential of third countries of Western intelligence services is involved in the preparation of such sabotage and terrorist attacks," Putin added.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Kirby emphasized that the involvement of US intelligence was aimed at helping Ukrainians defend their territory.

"From the early days of this war, we have been providing intelligence and information support to the Ukrainian armed forces to enable them to better defend themselves, to conduct operations and to continue to try to claw back territory that the Russians illegally took from them when they invaded – actually, even since 2014. And I won’t get into the details of what that intelligence is or how it’s delivered, but it is very much intended to help … them defend their territory," Kirby said.

"We do not enable nor do we encourage the Ukrainians to strike outside of Ukraine," he added.

• On Sunday, April 2, an explosion occurred in St. Petersburg at a "recital" of propagandist Vladlen Tatarsky, injuring 32 people.

• The National Republican Army claimed responsibility for Tatarsky's murder, and they also reported that an attempt on Dugina's life had been organized.