It is of paramount importance that data in the technical devices seized from the suspects in the Crocus City Hall terrorist attack has confirmed their connection with the Ukrainian side, Kirill Kabanov, chairman of the National Anti-Corruption Committee, told Sputnik.
Initial data received from those detained in the case related to the terrorist attack indicated Ukraine pulled the strings. However, the fresh report by the Russian Investigative Committee points to the Ukrainian special services, and “we must understand that they are directly connected with the CIA and MI6 and MI5,” Kabanov said.
“That is why the West is trying to cover this up, blaming an outlawed international terrorist organization for everything. In order to save face, and to hide the fact that Ukraine itself is a huge terrorist organization,” Kabanov, who is also a member of the Human Rights Council, said.
The ongoing investigation into the attack at Crocus City Hall has discovered proof of the connection of the terrorists who carried out the heinous crime with Ukrainian nationalists, the Russian Investigative Committee said on March 28.
"The initial results of the investigation fully confirm the planned nature of the terrorists' actions, careful preparation and financial support from the organizers of the crime. As a result of working with the detained terrorists, analyzing the technical devices seized from them, analyzing information about financial transactions, evidence of their connection with Ukrainian nationalists has been obtained," the Russian Investigative Committee said on Telegram.
The terrorists received significant amounts of money and cryptocurrency from Ukraine, Russian investigators added.
Russia's special services have completed their task by uncovering this proof, yet they "refuse to hear us in the West, the world’s mechanisms don’t work," said Kirill Kabanov.
“The Americans can get away with brandishing an empty vial and using it as a pretext for starting a war and destroying an entire state, as was the case with Iraq. Unfortunately, I am not at all sure that our evidence of cryptocurrency transfers will be heard. Although for citizens of many countries this might add to their perception of reality," the expert noted.
For people in Western countries whose leaders remain committed to supporting the regime holed up in Kiev, a reality check as to what is really happening in Ukraine is long overdue, the analyst believes.
“It is very important that they begin to understand everything that is happening regarding Ukraine, including in their own countries. For us, it was clear from the start who was behind this terrorist attack... I think it's time for the world to understand this too,” Kabanov remarked.
As part of the ongoing investigation, a cryptocurrency account allegedly used by those behind the attack and the perpetrators has been discovered, through which an amount equal to half of what was promised to the terrorists for the attack on the concert hall was transferred.
A link to the account was posted on Voice of Khorasan, a Telegram channel affiliated with ISIS-Khorasan.
Regarding the uncovered financial transactions, "the fact that we proved that the transfers are connected with Ukraine is evidence that these monsters didn’t just receive support, but were paid for executing the order," Kabanov pointed out, adding:
“They were executing orders coming from Ukraine. These are not just some ideologically motivated terrorists. Absolutely not. These are killers for hire. Yes, they are radical, yes, they profess a radical ideology, but they are just murderers who were hired by the so-called 'civilized world' precisely so that they would commit these terrible crimes.”
As for tracking where the funds came from and where they were sent, it’s not as difficult as it might seem, said the chairman of the National Anti-Corruption Committee.
“We have efficient mechanisms here in Russia, including monitoring, which, in principle, can track any payments, even in cryptocurrency. Such monitoring is used to uncover evidence in criminal cases, for example. There are special techniques employed by intelligence agencies, which are not publicly disclosed, to track such transfers. We must understand that any action on the Internet leaves a trace, and not only on the Internet. It’s like dragging a sleigh through the snow,” Kirill Kabanov concluded.
* ISIS (also known as ISIL/IS/ISIS-K/Islamic State) is a terrorist group banned in Russia and many other countries.