Washington: The White House has unequivocally stated that Ukraine had "no involvement whatsoever" in the tragic massacre that took place in a Moscow concert hall, resulting in the deaths of over 130 people.
This statement comes in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's insinuation of a possible connection to Kyiv.
Adrienne Watson, spokeswoman for the White House National Security Council, emphasized that ISIS bears sole responsibility for the attack, dismissing any notion of Ukrainian involvement. Vice President Kamala Harris echoed this sentiment in an interview with ABC News' "This Week," stating that there was "no evidence" implicating Ukraine and attributing the attack to ISIS-K, the branch of the Islamic State operating in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The attack, carried out by gunmen armed with various weapons, including machine guns and firebombs, was claimed by ISIS in a message posted on Telegram. Despite Putin's assertion that the perpetrators were attempting to flee to Ukraine, Kyiv vehemently denied any involvement, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accusing Putin of attempting to shift blame.
ISIS-K, originating from Afghanistan's Nangarhar province, aims to establish a strict Islamic caliphate across India, Iran, and Central Asia. While its activities have been curtailed within Afghanistan under Taliban rule, analysts note a recent uptick in its global operations.
Putin has vowed to hold those responsible for the attack accountable but has not addressed ISIS's claim of responsibility. Instead, he focused on the arrest of the gunmen allegedly attempting to escape to Ukraine.