No evidence of Ukraine's involvement in Moscow mass shooting - EU spox

This was stated by EU spokesman Peter Stano, who spoke at a midday briefing in Brussels on Monday, reports an Ukrinform correspondent.

"We are concerned by the indications from representatives of the regime in Moscow who are trying to create a link between this attack and Ukraine. We of course reject this entirely. There are no indications, no proof whatsoever that Ukraine was in any way linked to these attacks," Stano emphasized.

He also called on the Russian authorities not to exploit the terrorist attack as an excuse to escalate aggression against Ukraine or to intensify domestic oppression in Russia.

As reported, on the evening of March 22, armed men opened automatic fire at civilians at the Crocus City Hall concert venue in Krasnogorsk near Moscow. A number of explosions rang out at the site and the venue went ablaze.

At the moment, 137 people have been confirmed dead and 152 – injured.

The Islamic State - Khorasan" ("IS-K"), which operates in Afghanistan and Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the shooting rampage.

In a video address to the Russians on March 23, Vladimir Putin claimed the perpetrators, who fled the scene, were reportedly moving toward the Ukrainian border where they had been promised a “window” to cross in.

The Ambassador of Belarus to the Russian Federation, Dmitry Krutoy, on the other hand, stated that the Belarusian security agencies helped the Russians catch the suspects, who could be planning to escape across the Russian border and into Belarus, not Ukraine.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called Putin's attempts to link Ukraine or other Western nations with the mass shooting near Moscow "another lie from a very long list."

On Sunday, the UK warned Putin against using the terrorist attack near Moscow as an excuse to escalate the war against Ukraine.

Photo: AA