Swedish economist and diplomat Anders Öslund said that Vladimir Putin and the Russian services were behind the massacre at “Crocus City Hall” near Moscow, for which they accused Ukraine without any evidence.
Anders Öslund, who also worked as an economic adviser to the Kremlin (under Yeltsin), knows very well the Russian services and their methods of operation. He pointed out several puzzling things about the attack:
1. Four terrorists travel in a vehicle in camouflage clothing with assault rifles in their hands – and no one checks them on the road.
2. In the “Crocus City Hall” there is no guard during the attack.
3. The metal detectors have been turned off.
4. The terrorists fired for 18 minutes in “Crocus City Hall” and they go out peacefully. During the attack, not a single policeman came.
5. The police and FSB buildings are within walking distance of the hall, but it took their services 1 hour to respond.
6. The suspected terrorists leave in the same vehicle they arrived in. No serious thief would leave in the same car.
7. How is it possible to drive for 5 hours without being checked? That seems impossible.
8. After the attack, the tortured suspected terrorists look scared to death – this is very different from the cold-blooded commandos in “Crocus City Hall”.
9. Putin and all the Kremlin propaganda accused Ukraine without any evidence - it seems completely implausible.
10. Terrorist attacks and merciless killings are part of Putin's arsenal.
11. The FSB has previously used "Islamic State" fighters. Why shouldn't it be like that now?
10. Terrorist attacks & ruthless killings of Russians is Putin's playbook from the house bombings in 1999, the Nord-Ost in October 2002 & Beslan school; massacre in September 2004.
— Anders Åslund (@anders_aslund) March 24, 2024
11. FSB has used ISIS fighters. Why not this time also?https://t.co/kUtKWdeMUf
„Conclusion: This looks like another murder of innocent Russians by Putin to justify more war and repression, but we are unlikely to get a full explanation for exactly this reason,” wrote Anders Öslund on the X social network.
AP wrote that the attack in Russia damaged Putin's image as a tough leader. This is not the first time in Putin's nearly quarter-century rule that he has tried to use the failure of his security services to further his goals. The US alerted Russian intelligence just days before the attack that it had intelligence about a planned attack on a crowded location.
Austrian expert on Russian politics Gerhard Mangot, however, disagrees with the theory that Russian services are involved. He told focus.de that the terrorist attack puts the Russian leadership in a position of needing an explanation: many Russians are now asking why the security services failed to uncover the attack plans and prevent the massacre.