Russian President Vladimir Putin said comments made by Western officials warning of an imminent terror attack on Russia were provocative — three days before the attack, the Bloomberg News reported Saturday.
During a meeting with senior staff at the Federal Security Service (FSB) on Tuesday, Putin scorned Western officials as making "frankly, provocative statements."
"All this resembles outright blackmail and the intention to intimidate and destabilize our society," he added.
On March 7, the U.S. Embassy in Moscow issued a public warning for American citizens that "extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow, to include concerts."
On Saturday, Putin responded to the terrorist attack in the Moscow concert hall, which killed at least 133, stating that the terrorists tried to escape through Ukraine, according to a video posted on X by Asian News International.
"They tried to escape; they were moving toward the border of Ukraine. The investigative authority will do everything to identify them. These criminals went specifically to kill our people ... We expect that other nations that share our pain to cooperate with us. These terrorists have no nationality."
According to Clash Report, a video the outlet posted on X shows a man detained by the Russians, speaking Tajik, said that after being destitute for a long time, someone named "Abdula" contacted him and offered him money in exchange for the terrorist attack.
"We lived in a hostel with other migrants from Tajikistan," he said. "I couldn't find a job for a long time. Then someone called Abdula texted me and offered to kill people for money."
Russia suggested that the attack is linked to Ukraine. However, A U.S. intelligence official told The Associated Press that U.S. agencies had confirmed an Islamic State group, ISIS-Khorasan, known as ISIS-K, is behind the attack. The motive for the attack is not clear.
On Feb. 22, Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland commented that "nasty surprises" await Russia and that $60 billion in aid to Ukraine — which Congress has not approved — would "ensure" that Ukraine "not only survives but thrives."
"With this support, in 2024," she said, "we will help ensure Ukraine can continue to fight, to build, to recover, and to reform.
"With this money, Ukraine will be able to fight back in the east and accelerate the asymmetric warfare that has been most effective on the battlefield. And as I said in Kyiv three weeks ago, this supplemental funding will ensure Putin faces some nasty surprises on the battlefield this year."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.