Terrorist groups, SSU investigated for Crocus attack: Russia
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Russian investigators are scrutinizing terrorist groups and Ukraine's special services for potential roles in planning and financing the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall.
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A massive blaze is seen over the Crocus City Hall on the western edge of Moscow, Russia, March 22, 2024. (AP)
Russian investigators are examining terrorist groups and Ukraine's special services for potential involvement in orchestrating and funding the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall, as stated by the Russian Investigative Committee on Friday.
In a post on Telegram, the Committee said, "The implementation of a set of investigative actions and operational measures to verify the involvement of representatives of the Ukrainian special services and international Islamist terrorist organizations in the organization and financing of the terrorist attack continues."
In further detail, the Russian Investigative Committee affirmed that data from the mobile phones of individuals implicated in the terrorist attack near Moscow's Crocus City Hall have been retrieved by investigators, noting that the accused attempted to destroy the devices.
"The investigation obtained data from the mobile phones of those accused of committing the terrorist attack in Crocus City Hall ... The results of an expert study of the mobile phones that the terrorists tried to destroy made it possible to obtain information that is significant for the investigation about the circumstances of the preparation for the crime," the Committee added.
It reported that images of individuals wearing camouflage and carrying the Ukrainian flag near damaged residences, along with a Ukrainian postage stamp featuring an obscene gesture, were discovered on the phone of one of the accused. This discovery suggests a potential connection between the terrorist attack and the ongoing war in Ukraine, as per the committee.
"On the morning of February 24, 2024, that is, on the anniversary of the start of the special military operation, at the direction of the curator, one of the accomplices found on internet resources and sent him screenshots of images of the entrances to the Crocus City Hall building and the access roads to it," the Committee said.
Dive deeper
Just last week, the Russian Investigative Committee announced that evidence had been gathered, linking the terrorists who attacked the Crocus City Hall music venue to Ukrainian nationalists.
According to the Committee's Telegram post, initial results "fully confirm the planned nature of the terrorists' actions, careful preparation and financial support from the organizers of the crime. As a result of working with detained terrorists, analyzing the technical devices seized from them, analyzing information about financial transactions, evidence of their connection with Ukrainian nationalists has been obtained."
Russian investigators divulged that the terrorists obtained considerable sums of money and cryptocurrencies from Ukraine with the report confirming that such funds were used "in the preparation of the crime."
