Washington —

A Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesman said on Tuesday that weaknesses in the power model established by Russian President Vladimir Putin were exposed as the country failed to protect its people from last week’s terrorist attack at a Moscow concert hall or respond to calls from Western secret services. Be forewarned.

Andrei Yusov, spokesman for the Main Intelligence Service of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, told VOA’s Ukrainian service that Putin’s vulnerability has become apparent, including to his closest circle.

Yusov said in an interview in Washington that Ukrainian military intelligence had no reason not to believe the conclusion reached by U.S. intelligence agencies that the Islamic State-Khorasan group was responsible.

Earlier this month, a U.S. State Department official confirmed to VOA that the U.S. had gathered intelligence indicating that the Islamic State in Khorasan was planning an “imminent” attack on the Russian capital, leading the U.S. Embassy in Moscow to issue a warning earlier this month. warn.

Russia continues to try to blame Ukraine for the attack. Russian media on Tuesday quoted the head of Russia’s Federal Security Service, Alexander Bortnikov, as saying that U.S., British and Ukrainian special forces may have been involved in the attack.

Yusov again denied Ukrainian involvement and suggested the attack itself and Russia’s disinformation campaign surrounding it could help the Kremlin mobilize more Russians to wage war against Ukraine and reshape Russia’s image from an aggressor. for the victim.

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Voice of America: Putin and his associates are trying to link terrorist attacks near Moscow to Ukraine. Given their new arguments, what do you add to the original response, dismissing it as nonsense?

Andrei Yusov, spokesman for the Main Intelligence Service of the Ministry of Defense: [Russian minister of foreign affairs, Sergey] Lavrov’s refusal to accept Interpol’s assistance in investigating this crime speaks volumes. It is typical of the Putin regime in its war against Ukraine to try to exploit any situation, even a tragedy like this.

Ukraine responded clearly that Ukraine is liberating territory from aggressors and fighting the army; we are not fighting civilians. Everything else – whether Putin’s regime was involved in the attack and to what extent it was because it failed to take the necessary steps despite being warned, or whether there were other, more compelling reasons to blame it – is being investigated separately question.

Voice of America: How much of a threat do you think it is that the Kremlin is trying to blame Ukraine for terrorism? Will it help them mobilize more soldiers and escalate the war?

Yusof: Putin and Russia under Putin are waging a genocidal war against Ukraine, using all but weapons of mass destruction. They destroy critical targets such as our civil infrastructure, energy, cultural heritage, social sectors and public health. Putin’s tanks are killing our civilians and defenders. What can they upgrade?

At the same time, they will try to mobilize the population politically. In addition, they will try to use this terrorist attack to change Russia’s image around the world from an aggressor that kills peaceful Ukrainians and attacks a neighboring country that has not committed any aggressive actions and violated international humanitarian law. The state – transformed into an image of victim. . Putin is trying to do just that today.But Putin, Lavrov and [Minister of Defense Sergei] Shoigu and other killers look like victims.

Voice of America: Could you tell us about the extent of cooperation between the Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Russian Volunteer Army, the Free Russian Legion and the Siberian Battalion in their missions on Russian territory? Do you plan operations together and provide any support?

Yusof: In Ukraine, these forces operate within the framework of Ukrainian legislation and are an integral part of our security and defense forces. These are the people in our security and defense forces who help fight Putin’s invaders, the Russian occupying forces. They are citizens of the Russian Federation. Within the Russian Federation, at home, they try to implement principles and values ​​and fight for their rights, which have been deprived of them by Putin’s dictatorship. There, they act autonomously and independently.

Voice of America: But military weapons, heavy weapons – they’re not bought in a store.

Yusof: Total war lasted for more than two years. These people seized a lot of weapons during the battle, including Russian equipment used against the Russian army today.

Voice of America: Do you think their actions have practical benefits for the defense of Ukraine?

Yusof: We can confirm that this works to our advantage. There is no doubt that the military operations in the Belgorod and Kursk regions stabilized the situation in other areas of the front line to a certain extent, diverted the enemy’s forces and means, and showed the vulnerability of the Putin regime and its security forces.

Voice of America: What is the main purpose of your visit to Washington?

Yusof: One of the tragic components of this genocidal war against Ukraine is the humanitarian aspect – the abduction of thousands of civilians. Russia abducts thousands of Ukrainian children. Of course, these were prisoners of war, both combatants and non-combatants, who had been captured in violation of the Geneva Conventions. The ICRC has no access to their places of detention; no way to inspect the condition of our prisoners of war. Their rights were violated; they were abused and tortured. The world needs to know this. Fortunately, many people in America are ready to listen to our voices—governments, public nongovernmental organizations, and the mass media. An important component of this is increasing international pressure on Russia to comply with the Geneva Conventions.

Voice of America: What about military assistance to protect Ukrainian territory from occupation and its consequences?

Yusof: Of course, this is another aspect. Every meter of land lost means more deaths of our civilian children and women; it means more hostages and prisoners of war. In addition, we need assistance to verify persons abducted or unlawfully convicted in the Russian Federation – prisoners of war and civilians. Finally, it is important to bring war criminals to justice.

In addition, the families of thousands of people imprisoned in Russia need support. Thousands of Ukrainians have returned from Russian captivity. They all need support and social, psychological and medical help. This is another theme in our interactions with our international partners.