Ukraine's Defence Intelligence chief comments on why Russia ignored warnings of terrorist attack
Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence has stated that Russia was aware of the impending terrorist operation near Moscow but allowed it to take place due to the "struggle of the towers of influence," or a lack of understanding of the scope of the attack.
Source: Kyrylo Budanov, Head of Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence (DIU), during a conversation at the Third International Forum on Strategic Communications, as reported by the press service of DIU
Quote: "At least since 15 February 2024, the Russian Federation has been aware of the preparations. I'll tell you even more: this information was passed through the group's intelligence agency in Syria. From there, it was passed on to Moscow. And don’t let them tell you that it miraculously appeared out of nowhere.
There are several possible explanations for why they let it happen. The first, as is customary in Russia, is a power struggle – removal of several high-ranking officials. Another option is that they may have underestimated the severity of the situation. They assumed it would be smaller in nature and wanted to blame Ukraine for everything."
Details: Budanov stated that Russia knew where combat groups would come from and how they would transit two countries before arriving on Russian territory.
The general noted that the Kremlin has already changed three versions of what happened at the Crocus City Hall in Moscow Oblast, attempting to incorporate the so-called "Ukrainian trace" into the terrorist attack.
"There were explanations from Patrushev [Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation] and Bortnikov [Head of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB)], who accused me personally and said that it was all done by Ukraine. This is nonsense. By the way, if we touch on this painful issue, even though it is the enemy, I do not approve in principle of terrorist acts against civilians," Budanov said.
The Ukrainian intelligence chief added that Russia had sown chaos and was overconfident in its ability to control it.
Quote: "There is a known saying, even a parable of some sort. And it always applies in the case of secret services, where everyone is attempting to create controlled chaos. At various points in time, almost every serious organisation attempted to do this. And the axiom states that none of them could make it controllable. The same thing occurred here."
Background:
- The shooting incident occurred prior to a concert by the band Piknik at the Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk, Moscow Oblast, on the evening of 22 March. Afterwards, a large fire broke out in the auditorium. The latest reports say 137 people have died, including three children, and 180 people were injured.
- Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) said the terrorist attack was a deliberate provocation by Putin’s regime that had been anticipated by the international community. Mykhailo Podoliak, adviser to the Head of the Ukrainian President’s Office, stated that Ukraine had nothing to do with the attack. The White House said it saw no evidence of any Ukrainian involvement in the attack, which has claimed the lives of dozens of people.
- Russian leader Vladimir Putin claimed that a "back door" had been prepared for the suspects to cross the border into Ukraine. Ukraine's Defence Intelligence responded by saying that these claims are entirely devoid of truth.
- ISIS has called the terrorist attack in the Crocus City Hall in Moscow Oblast their "most brutal attack in recent years" and posted photos of the terrorists. Their clothing matches that of the detainees whose photos were posted by the FSB.
- According to Russian Telegram channels close to the Russian security services, the detained suspects in the terrorist attack are being brutally tortured.
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