Advertisement
Moscow concert hall attackers first headed for Belarus, says Lukashenko, contradicting Putin claim they fled to Ukraine
- Vladimir Putin said Ukraine had prepared a ‘window’ for the attackers to cross the border – currently a war zone
- Belarusian president, a close Putin ally, said Belarus and Russia had coordinated actions as suspects fled to Bryansk, bordering Ukraine and Belarus
Reading Time:1 minute
Why you can trust SCMP
7
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said on Tuesday that the gunmen who attacked Moscow’s Crocus City Hall music venue on Friday tried initially to flee to Belarus, not Ukraine as Russian officials including President Vladimir Putin have insisted.
Advertisement
Putin said Ukraine had prepared a “window” for the attackers to cross the border – currently a war zone.
Ukraine has vehemently denied involvement but two of Putin’s most powerful allies, Security Council chairman Nikolai Patrushev and state Federal Security Service (FSB) head Alexander Bortnikov, on Tuesday both directly blamed Kyiv for the attack, albeit without producing any evidence.
04:03
Why Isis-K targeted Russia in Moscow concert attack
Why Isis-K targeted Russia in Moscow concert attack
However Lukashenko, a close ally of Putin, told journalists that Belarusian and Russian security services had coordinated their actions as the suspects’ car fled southwest from Moscow to the Bryansk region, bordering both Ukraine and Belarus, where it was apprehended.
Advertisement
He said Belarus had quickly set up checkpoints at the border.
Advertisement