During their initial testimonies and subsequent interrogations, the suspects stated that the attacks were orchestrated in collaboration with an individual who identified himself under an alias, as stated by the Investigative Committee.
The Russian Investigative Committee disclosed on Friday that suspects involved in the terrorist attack on the Crocus City Hall near Moscow have confessed that their directives originated from an unidentified individual who instructed them to escape to Ukraine afterward.
According to RT, Russian authorities apprehended four suspected perpetrators of the attack at the concert venue on the outskirts of Moscow last Friday, resulting in the loss of 144 lives and the hospitalization of over 200 individuals.
In their initial testimonies and subsequent interrogations, the suspects said the attacks were prepared in coordination with “a man who introduced himself to them under a pseudonym,” the Investigative Committee said in a statement.
He communicated with the suspects by voice messages sent over Telegram, it added.
“On the instructions of the coordinator, after committing the crime, the terrorists drove in a car towards the Russian-Ukrainian border to subsequently cross it and arrive in Kiev to receive the promised reward,” the law enforcement agency said.
The Investigative Committee has said it is continuing to “verify the involvement of representatives of Ukrainian special services in organizing and financing the terrorist attack.”
Russian Special Forces intercepted the four suspected perpetrators on their way to the Ukrainian border last Saturday. They were identified as Tajikistan nationals and initially labeled as “radical Islamists” by investigators.
The terrorist organization Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K) claimed responsibility for the massacre. The US and EU have asserted that ISIS-K was the sole perpetrator and that Ukraine played no role in the incident.
