Russian President Vladimir Putin, without presenting evidence, accused Western intelligence services of being involved in “terrorist attacks” carried out within Russia.
“Terrorist attacks are regularly carried out against government officials and law enforcement agencies, journalists, public figures, school and university teachers,” Putin said on Wednesday during a meeting of Russia’s Security Council, adding that “accomplices” also operate in Ukrainian regions claimed to be annexed by Russia.
“There is reason to believe that the potential of third countries of Western intelligence services is involved in the preparation of such sabotage and terrorist attacks,” he said.
Death of Russian military blogger: Vladlen Tatarsky, a pro-Kremlin Russian military blogger, was killed by an explosion at a St. Petersburg café on Sunday.
Within Russia, suspicion has fallen on Ukrainian special services, informal Russian opposition groups and associates of the jailed opposition leader Alexey Navalny, though his supporters have denied having anything to do with the explosion.
Russian authorities have charged Daria Trepova with terrorism offenses over Tatarsky’s death, alleging that Trepova — acting at the behest of Ukraine — brought a “statuette filled with explosives” to the venue and handed it to Tatarsky. Trepova’s husband, Dmitry Rylov, told an independent Russian publication that he is convinced his wife was framed.
Ukraine has said little about the explosion, beyond blaming infighting in Russia.
Pledge to prevent “sabotage:” The Russian government also said Wednesday that it would step up efforts to stymie sabotage and enemy intelligence operations in the four declared annexed Ukrainian regions, according to state media.
“It was instructed to organize additional operational-search and counterintelligence activities in the anti-terrorist direction, measures to neutralize sabotage groups, block the channels of illicit trafficking in weapons and ammunition,” Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev said, according to the Russian state media RIA Novosti.
“Attention was drawn to preventing recruitment activities by Western intelligence services, to identify agents of influence, to counter the spread of the ideology of neo-Nazism and religious extremism, primarily among children and youth,” Patrushev told reporters following the meeting of the Security Council, as quoted by RIA.
“Attempts to destabilize the socio-political situation and undermine the constitutional order will be severely suppressed in accordance with Russian legislation,” he added.
