According to Reuters, Russia has issued a demand for Ukraine to surrender all individuals associated with terrorist activities committed in Russia, including the head of the country’s SBU Security Service. The foreign ministry made this announcement on Sunday.
The ministry’s statement highlighted several violent incidents that have occurred in Russia since the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. These incidents include bombings that resulted in the death of a well-known nationalist’s daughter and a war blogger, as well as an attack in which a writer sustained serious injuries.
The statement claimed that investigations into these incidents have revealed that “the trail of these crimes leads back to Ukraine.”
“Russia has submitted its demands to Ukrainian authorities for the immediate apprehension and extradition of all individuals linked to the aforementioned terrorist acts,” the statement declared.
Among those targeted for extradition is Vasyl Maliuk, the head of the SBU, who has reportedly admitted to his agency’s involvement in attacks on the bridge connecting Crimea to mainland Russia following the 2022 invasion. Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, and the bridge was constructed after the annexation.
“The Russian side insists that the Kyiv government cease its support for terrorist activities, hand over the perpetrators, and compensate the victims for their losses,” the statement added.
The statement vaguely referenced the recent mass shooting at a concert venue near Moscow that claimed the lives of 144 people.
Although Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, U.S. officials indicated that intelligence pointed to the involvement of the network’s Afghan branch, ISIS-K.
Russian investigators have alleged that the concert hall assailants had ties to “Ukrainian nationalists,” a claim that Kyiv has vehemently denied.
Alexander Bastrykin, the head of Russia’s Investigative Committee, stated that efforts are ongoing to ascertain the masterminds behind the concert hall tragedy, as reported by Russian news agencies on Sunday.
(Reporting by Ron Popeski; Editing by Leslie Adler and Jonathan Oatis)
