Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk strongly condemned on Saturday the “brutal attack” on the outskirts of Moscow on Friday evening that killed at least 133 people, while expressing hope that it would not become “an excuse” for “escalation “. of violence,” reports AFP.

“Poland strongly condemns the brutal attack (…) We are all in mourning for the families of the victims. We hope that this terrible tragedy will not become a reason for escalation of violence and aggression for anyone,” wrote the head of the Polish government on the X social network.

The Islamic State (ISIS) jihadist group claimed responsibility for the attack in Moscow, but there are signs that Russia is maintaining ties with Ukraine, despite Ukrainian officials’ vehement denials of Kiev’s involvement in the attack, Reuters writes.

In his first public speech on the attack, Russian President Vladimir Putin repeated his claim that the suspects were trying to flee to Ukraine, adding that those behind the attack would be punished. “They were heading to Ukraine, where, according to (investigators’) preliminary information, a ‘window’ was prepared for them to cross the border,” Putin said, assuring that “those behind these terrorists will be punished” and that “they will not have an enviable fate.”

According to Russian authorities, at least 133 people were killed and more than 100 were injured, many of them in serious condition, as a result of the armed attack at the Crocus City Hall concert.

The United States said it had information about an attack being planned in Moscow and told Russia about it earlier this month.

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Russia spoke about the Ukrainian “connection” this morning

The Russian Security Service (FSB) said on Saturday that the suspects in Friday’s attack on a concert hall on the outskirts of Moscow had “contacts” in Ukraine and were planning to flee there.

One of the main voices of Kremlin propaganda, Margarita Simonyan, also claimed that Ukrainians were involved in the attack, suggesting that the Americans were ultimately to blame.

Ukraine was not involved in Friday’s armed attack near Moscow, and speculation about a Ukrainian connection “has nothing to do with reality,” a spokesman for Kyiv’s military intelligence said Saturday.

“This is definitely another lie of the Russian special services, which has nothing to do with reality and is not justified,” Andriy Yusov from the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense told Reuters.

The Americans warned him, Putin replied that it was blackmail

​The United States warned Russia this month of a terrorist attack that could target “large gatherings” in Moscow, the White House said.

“Earlier this month, the U.S. government had information about a planned terrorist attack in Moscow that could target large gatherings of people, including concerts, and Washington shared that information with Russian authorities,” said Adrienne Watson, a spokeswoman for the U.S. National Security Council.

Vladimir Putin dismissed US warnings of a possible terrorist incident in Moscow days before Friday night’s attack.

The President of Russia said on Tuesday, March 19, that “recent provocative statements by some Western official structures regarding the possibility of terrorist attacks in Russia” are aimed at harming Russian society.

“All this looks like pure blackmail and an intention to intimidate and destabilize our society,” Putin said, according to state media.

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