“We believe that the action was prepared by radical Muslim groups themselves and facilitated by Western intelligence services,” he told Russian news agency TASS. There is no evidence to support his claims.

According to the FSB leader, intelligence agencies from three countries assisted the attackers. He also stated that the perpetrators wanted to flee to Ukraine and would receive a ‘hero’s welcome’ there. “Ukrainian services are also directly involved in this,” Bortnikov said.

Typical

Russian intelligence services are expected to blame the West, correspondent Olaf Koens said. “Previously, Vladimir Putin himself also spoke about Muslim extremists, but the heads of intelligence agencies left the responsibility to the United States, Britain and Ukraine.”

This is a typical Moscow way of thinking, Koens said. “People don’t want to believe that organizations like ISIS operate independently, they think they are controlled by the British and Americans, and that’s of course absurd.”

“These are serious allegations,” Koens said. “But the lack of clarity, the fact that no evidence was provided and that America, Britain and Ukraine were later blamed, it’s quite convincing. You can draw the conclusion that they made it up in Moscow.”

‘Lie’

Bortnikov was not the only one to point fingers at Ukraine and Western countries, other high-ranking Russian officials also accused Ukraine of involvement. Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev was asked whether neighboring countries or ISIS were responsible for the attack. “Ukraine of course,” he answered.

Ukraine denies having anything to do with the massacre at the concert hall. Top official Mychaylo Podoljak said that FSB bosses Bortnikov and Patrushev were spreading ‘lies’ about his country.