US denies Putin’s claim of involvement in ‘terror attacks’ against Russia

The Biden administration has responded to the allegations made by Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, that the US is involved in various incidents that Putin described as “terrorist attacks” on Russian territory. The Russian leader made the claims on Wednesday, suggesting that “the potential of third countries of Western intelligence services is involved in the preparation of such sabotage and terrorist attacks”, but he gave no further details.

John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator, dismissed Putin’s suggestions when he addressed reporters, stating that the US does not encourage or enable Ukrainians to strike outside their territory.

In making the claim that “terrorist attacks are regularly carried out against government officials and law enforcement agencies … public figures, school and university teachers … neo-Nazis and their accomplices operate not only on the territory of the new subjects of the Federation, but also commit crimes in other regions,” Putin was making an indirect reference to the Ukrainian regions Russia claimed to have annexed and the rest of the Russian regions despite international condemnation.

Earlier this week, pro-Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky died at a St. Petersburg cafe following an explosion. Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee stated that the explosion involved agents of the Ukrainian special forces and associates of imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Officials subsequently arrested Daria Trepova, a young woman who has been accused of delivering a figurine that subsequently detonated at the cafe owned by Wagner Group Chief Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Kirby emphasizes that US intelligence support to the Ukraine is for helping them on the battlefield and within its borders, rather than Russian territory.

The explosion marks the second bombing aimed at a proponent of the war, following the death of Daria Dugina, daughter of the prominent imperialist political philosopher Alexander Dugin, who was killed in a car bombing in August.