Putin pledges justice as Russia apprehends Moscow massacre suspects

WEB DESK: Russian authorities announced on Saturday that all four individuals suspected of orchestrating a tragic shooting spree at a concert hall near Moscow have been apprehended.

President Vladimir Putin, in a firm address to the nation, vowed to pursue and punish those responsible for the attack.

While the militant Islamist group Islamic State claimed responsibility for the rampage, there are indications suggesting a possible Ukrainian connection, despite strong denials from Ukrainian officials in Kyiv.

The Russian state Investigative Committee reported a death toll of 133, although earlier estimations by State TV editor Margarita Simonyan suggested it to be 143, though without citing a source.

Putin revealed during his televised speech that 11 individuals, including the four gunmen, have been detained. He noted that they attempted to flee towards Ukraine, where preliminary information suggests they were facilitated to cross the border.

The FSB security service disclosed that the gunmen had ties to individuals in Ukraine and were apprehended in close proximity to the border. They are currently being transferred to Moscow for further investigation.

Despite assertions from Putin and the FSB, no concrete evidence linking the attack to Ukraine has been presented publicly. This comes amidst the backdrop of a 25-month-long conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Responding to the allegations, Ukrainian military intelligence spokesperson Andriy Yusov said that Ukraine had no involvement in the terrorist act. He reiterated Ukraine’s commitment to defending its sovereignty against Russian aggression and clarified that Ukrainian forces engage with military targets, not civilians.

Yusov dismissed the FSB’s claim that the suspects were en route to Ukraine as yet another falsehood propagated by Russian intelligence services.