The Investigative Committee found an old collage with the flag of Ukraine on the suspect in the terrorist attack.

Investigative Committee of Russia on Friday morning made public images allegedly found on the mobile phone of one of the suspects in the attack on the Crocus City Hall concert hall, which, according to the department, may “indicate a connection between the terrorist act committed and the conduct of a special military operation” (that is, the Russian invasion of Ukraine).

In particular, the department reported that “photo images of people in camouflage uniforms with a Ukrainian flag against the background of destroyed houses and a Ukrainian postage stamp with an obscene gesture” were found on the phone. We are talking about a collage dedicated to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, its date is indicated on it – February 24, 2022. As the “Agency” found out, this collage published on the Internet more than a year ago. “Such a picture could have been saved on the terrorists’ phone when reading open sources on the Internet. For example, Google finds the same picture in at least two sources,” the Agency notes.

The second assumption of the Investigative Committee about the “Ukrainian trace” in the terrorist attack is also connected with the start date of the invasion. The department’s report states that “on the morning of February 24, 2024, that is, on the anniversary of the start of the special military operation, one of the accomplices, on the instructions of the curator, found on Internet resources and sent him screenshots of images of the entrances to the Crocus City Hall building and the access roads to him.” The message does not say who this curator is, but it is stated that it was on his instructions that the Crocus City Hall near Moscow was chosen as the location for the attack.

Russian authorities insist that Ukraine was involved in the attack on Crocus, which according to the latest data killed 144 people, despite the fact that the organization of the terrorist attack was undertaken by the recognized terrorist group Islamic State. The detainees have no connection with Ukraine; they are natives of Central Asian countries. Previously, the authorities’ only argument in favor of the version of a Ukrainian trace was that after the terrorist attack, the alleged perpetrators went to the Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine. Kyiv categorically denies any connection with the attack on Crocus.

• The attack on the concert hall occurred on the evening of March 22. There were more than 6,000 people in the building. A group of armed people opened fire on visitors with automatic weapons. The building was set on fire. According to the latest data, 144 people were killed and more than 380 were injured. The Investigative Committee previously reported the detention of more than 10 suspects, including the likely direct perpetrators of the attack.
• The United States, which warned Russia about its preparation, is confident that it was IS that organized the terrorist attack. Western countries are calling on Moscow to drop its accusations against Ukraine.