"It was not without the so-called well-wishers: those who knowingly distributed such [false] information. We have established the origin of fake reports, they mainly came from two countries: Ukraine and Turkey. It is another question why [it came] from these countries but information about 300-400-500 dead originated this way," Peskov said speaking in a Russian university as quoted by the BBC Russian Service.
This comes as on Wednesday, a Moscow court arrested in absentia a Ukrainian prankster who has been spreading false information about the number of victims in the accident, claiming that there were hundreds rather than the confirmed 64.
The Kemerovo Region declared a three-day mourning period over the deadly fire, while Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree declaring a day of national mourning on Wednesday.