Russian intelligence was aware of ISIS threat days before Moscow attack: Report

Russia most probably knew of an ISIS threat days ahead of the deadly terrorist attack on a concert hall near the capital Moscow, a UK-based investigative organisation called Dossier Center has claimed. The centre accessed Russian intelligence documents, which allegedly hint towards the involvement of ISIS-K, the Central Asian offshoot of the terror group ISIS.

Soon after the attack, which killed 143 people last Friday (Mar 22) in the Crocus City Hall, ISIS claimed responsibility and supported the claim with statements, photos and a propaganda video filmed by the assailants. 

A report by the Sun said the attackers drugged themselves with 'chemical courage' before the deadly shooting. The drug is known for 'disabling fear' among the fighters so that they can kill without hesitation.

This is a London-based group run and managed by a critic of the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin. Mikhail Khodorkovsky is an exiled former Russian oil tycoon turned Kremlin critic. His organisation has revealed several details about Putin in the past based on secret documents and leaks from inside the Russian government.

“A few days before the terrorist attack, members of the Security Council received a warning that Tajik citizens could be used in terrorist attacks on Russian territory,” the group was quoted as saying by CNN in a Friday (Mar 29) report. 

“Even before the attack on Crocus City Hall, a source close to the intelligence services told the Dossier Center about this,” it added.

It must be noted that the four suspects that Russia has captured hail from Tajikistan who were working here on temporary or expired visas.

The US had warned Russia about such an attack by ISIS. In March, the US embassy had raised an alarm about an increased threat on Russia and had conveyed the concerns to Moscow under its “duty to warn” policy.

The Russian government, however, dismissed the warnings as “provocative,” saying “these actions resemble outright blackmail and the intention to intimidate and destabilize our society.”

The attack has given Putin’s opponents an opportunity to raise questions on his regime, with some saying Moscow could have reacted in time and prevented this carnage.

“We see very clearly that Vladimir Putin could have reacted on numerous warnings,” said former Russian lawmaker Ilya Ponomarev, an exiled Kremlin critic.