The US Ambassador announced a direct request from the Russian Federation after the terrorist attack in Crocus
US Ambassador to Moscow Lynn Tracy said that after the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall Russia sent a direct request to American authorities regarding available information about the attack. Washington, according to the diplomat, has handed over all the data.
Tracy said that the United States intends to continue to provide full cooperation to Russia on such requests, “despite our very real and deep differences with the Kremlin.”
“Russian citizens have the right to live safely and with dignity,” said the ambassador.
The New York Times and Reuters previously reported that the United States provided Russian intelligence services with intelligence about the impending terrorist attack about two weeks before the attack. In early March, the embassies of a number of Western countries issued warnings to their citizens about the terrorist threat in Moscow and urged them to leave the Russian Federation if possible. The head of the SVR, Sergei Naryshkin, later confirmed that the information was received, but it, according to him, “was too general.” The head of the FSB, Alexander Bortnikov, said that the information received did not say that the attack would take place just before the concert of the Picnic group. On March 19, President Vladimir Putin called statements about the possibility of terrorist attacks in Russia provocative and noted that it looked like “outright blackmail and an intention to intimidate.” with the aim of “destabilizing our society.” Russian law enforcement agencies believe that the organization of the terrorist attack in Crocus are the Ukrainian intelligence services.
Russian authorities did not comment on Ambassador Tracy’s statement about the complete data transferred after the terrorist attack.