RT reported that the main suspects in the Crocus City Hall terrorist attack on March 22 confessed to receiving orders from a mysterious man. The man said they fled to Ukraine after the attack, the Russian Investigative Committee said on March 29.
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) arrested four suspects near the Ukrainian border on March 23.
In initial statements and subsequent interviews, the suspects said the attacks were prepared in the coordination of "an anonymous man", who contacted the suspects via voice messages sent via Telegram.
According to the coordinator's instructions, after committing the crime, the terrorists drove a car towards the Russia-Ukraine border to cross the border and to Kiev to receive the promised rewards.
The Russian Investigative Committee said it is continuing to " vecue the involvement of representatives of Ukrainian special services in organizing and funding the terrorist attack".
Russian special forces intercepted four suspects on March 23 en route to the Ukrainian border. The suspects were identified as Tajik citizens and were initially described by officials as "extreme Islamists".
The Islamic State of Khuasan (ISIS-K) terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the massacre. The US and EU have confirmed that ISIS-K is the sole culprit and Ukraine has nothing to do with it.
However, Russia remains skeptical. President Vladimir Putin, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the head of the FSB and the Russian Investigative Committee all said that there were many clues pointing to Kiev's involvement. Mr. Lavrov described the West's assertion of Ukraine's innocence as suspicious.
On March 28, the Russian Investigative Committee revealed that the four suspects had received a significant amount of money from Ukraine in the form of cryptocurrency. The money was later used to prepare for the attack on Crocus City Hall.
RIA Novosti reported that 9 subjects suspected of being involved in the theater terrorist attack have been detained in Tajikistan.
All of these subjects are residents of Vakhdat district, a suburb of the capital Dushanbe. The subjects are believed to have contacted the shooters in Moscow and are also suspected of being involved in IS.
So far, a total of 12 suspects have been detained in Russia on suspicion of being involved in the massacre. Eight of these suspects, including those who fired live, face life in prison for terrorism.
On the evening of March 22, a group of gunmen attacked Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk, a suburb of Moscow, right before the concert of the rock band Picnic was set to begin. The site had an estimated capacity of 7,500 people, almost full at the time of the attack.
The terrorists killed security guards, shot people who came to watch the concert, then caused a fire that quickly spread throughout the building.
Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said on March 29 that at least 144 people, including 3 children, were killed in the terrorist attack and 382 others were injured.
