Putin Maintains That Moscow Terrorist Attack Was Directed By Ukraine

Wires carrying comments from Russian President Vladimir Putin claiming that the March 22 terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall on the outskirts of Moscow was, "part of Kiev regime's attacks on Russia."

• Putin said that the was, "committed by radical Islamists," adding that, "we know who committed the crime now we want to know who ordered it... what we're interested in is who benefits."
• Putin's allegations have been uniformly rejected by Ukraine and western intelligence organisations. The attacks could open up a domestic vulnerability for Putin who has historically derived much of his political legitimacy from establishing a credible domestic security infrastructure which has reduced the number of attacks within the Russian Federation.
• The New York Times notes that, "some Ukrainian officials and analysts have said that Russia’s attempts to shift the blame to Ukraine could be used to lay the groundwork for expanding conscription."