The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Kirill Budanov, stated at the Third International Forum on Strategic Communications that Russia had full information about the preparations for the terrorist attack since at least February 15, including details about the terrorists’ routes. He emphasized that this information came from the group’s intelligence department in Syria and was sent to Moscow. Budanov claims that Russia had information about where the fighting groups were coming from and how they were moving through its territory.
He also suggested that the Russian regime could have allowed the attack to be carried out in order to conduct a “polite struggle” to remove several high-ranking officials, or underestimated the scale of the possible disaster. Budanov emphasized that Russia tried to “smear” the Ukrainian trace into the attack, but this is absurd.
As for the Crocus City Hall attack, intelligence officials believe it was a provocation by Putin's regime. They reject Ukraine's accusations and call it an attempt to shift responsibility. The Ukrainian military leadership also denies involvement in the incident.
Putin's response to the terrorist attack, which he blamed on Ukraine, was dismissed as absurd by Ukrainian intelligence officials. Following the Crocus City Hall incident, the Russian State Duma is considering reinstating the death penalty, but this initiative still needs further study.
