“Investigators have information confirming that the perpetrators of the attack received large sums of money and cryptocurrencies from Ukraine, which were used in the preparation of this crime,” the Russian Investigative Committee said.
The attack, which took place on Friday night, was claimed by the Islamic State jihadist organization, but Russian authorities have insisted on the Ukrainian trail.
Ukraine has denied any involvement in the attack, one of the most serious to occur in Russia in recent years. The committee also stated that the perpetrators of the attack had links to Ukrainian nationalists, according to a statement cited by the French agency AFP.
“Work with detained terrorists, examination of technical devices seized from them and analysis of information on financial transactions made it possible to obtain evidence of their links with Ukrainian nationalists,” the committee said.
Russian investigators also announced that a new suspect “involved in the terrorist financing system has been identified and detained.” They added that they will ask the court for the suspect’s preventive detention, according to the Spanish agency EFE.
The courts have already placed eight suspects involved in the attack in pre-trial detention, including the four accused of carrying out the attack. The suspects were accused of terrorism and could be sentenced to life in prison. The Investigative Committee is the body responsible for major criminal investigations in the Russian Federation.
The attack at the Crocus City Hall concert hall, 20 kilometers from the center of Moscow, killed 143 people and left more than 150 hospitalized, according to the most recent official figures.
Tags: Russian authorities accuse bombing suspects receiving money Ukraine
